"Viva la Vida" (/ˈviːvə lə ˈviːdə/; ) is a song by the British alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), and was released as the second single from the album. On the album, this song segues directly into the next track, "Violet Hill". Viva la Vida can have two meanings in Spanish, either "Long Live Life" or "Live Life".
The lyrics to the song contain historical and Christian references, and the track is built around a repeating string section in unison with a digital processed piano with a percussion background.
The song was released on 13 June 2008 as the album's second single, debuting to critical acclaim and commercial success. "Viva la Vida" reached the top spot of the UK Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's first number-one single in both the US and UK. The song won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009. The song became the sixth song in digital history to reach the 4 million mark in paid downloads. It has sold 5.2 million copies in the United States by November 2011, and over 6.4 million copies worldwide by 2012.
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