Up with the Birds

"Up with the Birds" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all four members of the band with additional composition by Brian Eno for their fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto. The track's first section is built around organ, strings and piano, creating a downbeat, quiet mood, while the track's second section is dominated by guitars and drums, featuring a faster tempo. The track also features samples from "Driven by You" (1991) by English musician Brian May and a lyrical interpolation of "Anthem" (1992) by Canadian musician Leonard Cohen.

"Up with the Birds"/"U.F.O."
Single by Coldplay
from the album Mylo Xyloto
B-side	"U.F.O."
Released	21 April 2012
Length	3:47 ("Up with the Birds") 6:05 (7" edit)
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Guy Berryman Jonny Buckland Will Champion Leonard Cohen Brian Eno Chris Martin
Coldplay singles chronology
"Princess of China" (2012) "Up with the Birds" / "U.F.O." (2012) "Hurts Like Heaven" (2012)

It was released on 21 April 2012 as a limited edition 7" single for Record Store Day, serving as the overall fifth single release from Mylo Xyloto. On the strength of digital downloads, the track charted at number 43 on the South Korea Gaon International Chart following the release of the album. Critical reception of the song was generally positive, with critics noting that the song was a good choice to serve as a closer to the album.

Single release

In celebration of Record Store Day, "Up with the Birds" was released as a limited edition 7" vinyl single on 21 April 2012, backed by "U.F.O." as its B-side.[1] A total of 2,000 copies of the single were pressed;[2] 300 copies were released in France,[3] 500 copies were released in the United Kingdom[4] and 1,000 copies were released in the United States.[5]

Critical reception

"Up with the Birds" received generally positive reviews from critics. Martin Aston of BBC, in his review of Mylo Xyloto, called the song "a serene finale that shows Coldplay understand the change of dynamics more than the dynamics of change."[6] Helen Clarke of MusicOMH described the song as a "lyrical pick-n-mix cover" of "Anthem", writing: "It's an interesting choice to wrap up [the album] with; the sedate, poetic lullaby perhaps signalling the end of [Chris] Martin's 'concept' [of the album]."[7] Jillian Mapes of Billboard wrote: "Going out with a bang is not necessary with you started with three of them. Instead, Coldplay borrows lines from Leonard Cohen's 'Anthem' and channels Radiohead, again."[8]

Track listing

7" single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Up with the Birds" (7" edit)	3:48
2.	"U.F.O." (7" edit)	2:17

Chart performance

Upon the release of Mylo Xyloto, "Up with the Birds" debuted at number 43 on the South Korea Gaon International Chart for the issue dated 23 October 2011.[9]

Chart (2011)	Peak position
South Korea Gaon Download Chart[9]	43
UK Physical Singles Chart (Official Charts Company)[10]	27

References

1. "Coldplay – Up With The Birds / UFO". RecordStoreDay.com. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
2. "Exklusive RSD Releases" (in German). RecordStoreDayGermany.de. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
3. "Artistes 2012 << Disquaire Day" (in French). DisquaireDay.fr. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
4. "Crash Records Online Store – Record Store Day 2012". Crash Records. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
5. "Record Store Day – April 21, 2012". Strictly Discs. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
6. Aston, Martin (14 October 2011). "Coldplay Mylo Xyloto Review". BBC Music. BBC. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
7. Clarke, Helen. "Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto". MusicOMH. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
8. Mapes, Jillian (20 October 2011). "Coldplay's 'Mylo Xyloto': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
9. "Gaon Download Chart – 2011년 11월 1주차" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
10. "Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100 22 April 2012 - 28 April 2012". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2020.