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“42“ is a song by British 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. The song, divided into three parts, does not have a chorus. The first part is a ballad with piano and strings, which then transforms into an uptempo rock arrangement with a guitar solo. Finally, the song ends with a multi-instrumental part. A live version of “42“ was featured on the band's 2009 live album LeftRightLeftRightLeft.
The title is the second Coldplay title referencing Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. (The first being “Don’t Panic”.) In the novel, the characters discover that the meaning to life, the universe, and everything is 42.
Martin: Well, the whole record is — if it were a Notorious B.I.G. record, it’d be called Life and Death, it’s just that … maybe because we’ve had some people close to us who we’ve lost, but some miracles — we’ve got kids. So, life has been very extreme recently, and so both death and life pop up quite often. It’s called “42” because it’s my favorite number. And I think it’s probably in Will’s top three favorite numbers too.
Champion: Yeah, 17 and 11 and then 42.
- from a 2008 interview with MTV
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