转一个非常专业的关于Viva La Vida歌词含义的解释

看了些Viva La Vida的歌词的中文翻译，觉得有些译文有较大错误。于是查看了一些老外对于Viva La Vida歌词典故的考据，觉得以下解释不错。该考据较长，不翻中文了。

"Nov 23rd 2008, 05:15

A lot of people have interpreted the song as a portrait of King Louis XVI, etc. but I feel that the song's purpose is a lot more general than that.

King Louis XVI was found guilty of treason, and ultimately beheaded. However, the song clearly states a transition from ruling to not ruling. He is still alive, and he is reflecting on his past. (now in the morning I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to own.)

So I will try to generally analyze this song as best as I can:

"I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the
word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own"

He was a ruler with immense command. Seas of people would rise at his command.
This is contrasted with the fact that he has been displaced from ruling. (It's interesting that he sleeps in the morning.) Now he is a servant, or a beggar. "sweeping the streets."
From riches to rags, from kingship to poverty.

"I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listened as the crowd would sing
Now the old king is dead long live the king"

Rolling the dice means that he gambled with his power.
He took risks. He became close to a tyrant, a crusader, and took over other kingdoms. He would replace other rulers, as a kind of expansionist/imperialist. "now the OLD king is dead, long live THE king."

"One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand"

Everything happened so fast, from one minute to another. When you are in power, you get caught up with your success, and time flies. In one instant he held the key. In fact, he held the key to many castles, many kingdoms, all these countries that he conquered, were under his power and domain.
And in the next instant he lost EVERYTHING. The castles symbolize his power. Symbolically speaking, his power had a weak foundation, a weak base. What did he base his power upon? Himself. His castles stood upon pillars of SALT and SAND. They stood on weak foundation, just as he stood on a weak foundation.

"I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
Missionaries in a foreign field"

It seems that he used religion as an excuse for conquest, as can be seen in these words:
"Jerusalem bells, roman cavalry choirs."
Be my mirror, sword, and shield: means basically:
Represent my image, my power, and my strength.
Missionaries, or crusaders, in the end they are conquering foreign countries.

"For some reason I can't explain
Once you'd gone there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world"

Drunk with power, he lied. He never gave an honest word. He manipulated and used people for the sole end of increasing his territory and power.

"It was a wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become"

He transitions from ruler to tyrant. And the people realize what he has become. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

"Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?"

In the end he laments being King. Sure he had power, but the truth is, he is at the mercy of the people. There is a price on his head, and he realizes he is a puppet, on a string controlled by others.

(Repeats Stanza)
"For some reason I can't explain
I know St Peter won't call my name"

He fought in the name of Christianity, but he knows that he will not be able to enter into the promised land. His intentions were deceptive. Remember, never an honest word.

"Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world"

Reiterating that he has lost his power.

Hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know St Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Theme: Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Chris Martin has explained the song lyric "I know Saint Peter won't call my name" in an interview with Q magazine: "It's about ... You're not on the list. I was a naughty boy.
(Wikipedia)
When asked about the song, bass guitarist Guy Berryman said, "It’s a story about a king who’s lost his kingdom, and all the album’s artwork is based on the idea of revolutionaries and guerrillas."
(Wikipedia)
Viva La Vida, in Spanish translates to "long live life."

This song has many important implications, and VERY relevant to our times.

We should always be suspicious of people in power, who seem to fight under the banner of religion, freedom, etc. Because in the end they are just merely people, and are subject to corruption, just like anybody else.
Ultimately, people in power will become corrupted. It is human nature.

This is relevant in terms of history. Think about the crusades. The Holy War. The American Revolution. The French Revolution. Spanish Conquistadores. Rulers at first, come with good intentions, but over the course of time, they seek power.
Right now, the U.S. Is involved in the Middle East. What did we first come for? Weapons of Mass Destruction. We toppled Saddam, but we still haven't found any WMD's.
What about 9/11? Remember, Al Qaeda in Afghanistan attacked us in 9/11. So why are we now in Iraq, and not Afghanistan??
We still haven't captured Osama bin Laden, and we are stuck with Iraq, and we are in power, and people are such a BURDEN. We think we are in power, but the truth is that in the end we have to appease the IRaqi people. They were a sovereign nation, and in a way, right now, they are "the white man's burden."

History is an endless waltz.
Fated to repeat itself."

来源：
http://www.lyricinterpretations.com/Coldplay/Viva-La-Vida

该老外引用了主唱马丁本人对Saint Peter那句的解释，就是不受主的保佑，上不了天堂的人，类似在圣诞老人"坏名单"上的孩子。(另一个老外网友提到，人将死时，被圣彼得喊到名字便会登上天堂。)

马丁的解释在Wiki的英文版上也提到了:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viva_la_Vida