What does "Viva la Vida" mean?

Question

Coldplay's new album is called "Viva la Vida". What does this mean?

The direct spanish translation mean "Hurray for Life!" Is this the meaning of it or is there some other meaning'

Answer 1

I went on to Google Translate and typed in English -> French "live the life". It gave me 'Vivez la vie'. So i translated it French -> Spanish and it came up with 'Vive la Vida'. That might answer your question.

Answer 2

HAHAHAHA Motley!

You typed this whole explenation and then you end it with, "So, what does this tell us, I have no idea!" HAHAHAHA! very original.

Don't worry, cause I don't have any idea either.

Answer 3

I'm surprised this generated so much discussion, because the word viva pops up fairly often in English to mean "hurray" or "three cheers for." Elvis Presley had a famous movie and song called Viva Las Vegas, there was an Anthony Quinn movie (1952) titled "Viva Zapata," we hear about chants of "Viva La Revolución" in Cuba and elsewhere, there was an American movie (2007) titled Viva, and every Cinco de Mayo people shout Viva México.

Granted, exposure to this word is surely less in the UK than in the US, but it even appears in English dictionaries.

That said, Eddy's translation (Live life!) is perfectly possible (if unlikely) and makes complete sense, so it shouldn't be derided. Many people just coast through life without making much effort, so an exhortation to live life would be very reasonable.

Answer 4

I also found the fish pond, but this is in Merriam-Webster

vivar
One entry found.

vivar

Main Entry:

vivar

Function:

intransitive verb

Language:

Spanish

to cheer

This is RAE

vivar1.

(Del lat. vivar'um).

1. m. Nido o madriguera donde crían diversos animales, especialmente los conejos.

2. m. Vivero de peces.

Ver conjugación vivar2.

1. tr. Am. vitorear.

viva is 3rd persona subjuntivo & 2nd persona imperativo of vivir

it is the 3rd persona indicativo & 2nd persona imperativo of vivar

So what does that tell us, I have no idea!.

Answer 5

¡Hola a todos!

Below is what I found in Webster´s New World College Dictionary (third edition):
Hurrah: (interj.) [[utl. of echoic orig.]] a shout of joy, triumph, approval, etc - n. 1 a shouting of "hurrah" 2 excitement, tumult, commotion, etc. - vi.,vt. to shout "hurrah" (for); cheer. Also hurray. (page 659)

Viva: (interj.) [[It & Sp]] (long) live (some one or something specified)! (page 1494)
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
My understanding:
1. ¡Viva la Vida! is an interjection.
2. When "Hurray" plays the role of an interjection, we can only shout: Hurray! without anything following it. When being used with "for", "hurray" is a verb. In this case, we should say: The crowd hurrayed (shouted hurray) for the King when he appeared.
3. "Long live" should always goes with some one or something specified when it plays a role of an interjection.

So that:
1. "¡Viva la Vida!" should translated in to "Long live the Life!" or we can say: "¡Viva la Vida!" is a Hurray for the life.
2. "¡Viva la Vida!" can not be translated in to "Hurray for life" or in other words, "Hurray for life" should not be considered as an interjection (with an exclaimation mark).

¡Que le vaya bien!

Jeff El Loco

Answer 6

Bien no que sé de. Aquí en México que es lo único que nosotros nos referimos a al decir eso.

Answer 7

According to my dictionary, vive = to be alive

and vivar = a fish pond

I don't know the meanings of these words, but if you directly translate it, then this is what you get.

Answer 8

hahaha!

No, Eddy...I don't think your sad. Definitely not, in fact you just made me laugh

Thanks for the input. Every little bit helps.

I have to admit, it sure created a lot of interresting ideas.

Answer 9

This is in my dictionary

"la multitud daba vivas al Rey" the crowd was shouting "Long live the King"

On word reference ¡Viva! Hurray!

One thing leads to another, just read in the dictionary
vivar means to cheer

Do we have 2 verbs here vivir & vivar'

Answer 10

dunias right...viva la vida is hurray for life! vive..the command form of vivir..is live the life...viva and vive are totally different...

Answer 11

Hi Ian
Nice to know that you think I am sad. Ok I got it wrong, but then I'm not a native speaker. At least it promoted some debate with your post. Oh and by the way, if someone tells you live life, they're not telling you to shut and stop complaining, I think it means enjoy life while you can.

Answer 12

OK! so let me get this straight....

"Viva la vida" means "Hurray for life!"
and not "live the life"?

It makes sence, cause the new Coldplay album would give the impression that they want to scream "Hurray!"

Doesn't it seem sad if someone tells you to live the life? I mean...yes, life is hard as it is and if we tell someone to live the live then it can be interpreted as ,"Hey, shut up! and stop complaining, just "live the live". On the other hand, if some one tells you, "Hurray for life!" then it is a cry of joy and you will want to sing about it.

Thus the meaning of Coldplay's new album is ,"Hurray for life!"

thx alot Dunia

Answer 13

Don't confuse:
Vive la vida = live the life
¡Viva la vida! = hurray for life!
They are nothing to do each other

Answer 14

You are 100% right. This is an expresion abot life itself, and not about how somebody should live it. "Live the live " or "live your life " is more like "vive la vida". The meaning is totally different.

Answer 15

Dear friends,

I am a beginer and I am from Vietnam. It's fun that there is a real equipvalent phrase to "Viva la Vida" in Vietnamese. For that, I can say: "Viva la Vida" means "Long live the life".