Hurricane Harvey is really taking its toll on Houston right now, and everybody from Beyonce to Kevin Hart to Gerald Green is doing their best to assist in relief efforts however they can. Now, Coldplay has made sure the people of Houston know that the world is pulling for them, and they did it last night through song, at a concert in Miami.
Coldplay had to postpone a show in Houston last Friday, saying they didn’t want to put anybody’s safety at risk by performing as scheduled. Late in their set at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium last night, Martin expressed his disdain for having to cancel shows, so to make up for it and to help lift the spirits of Texas, the band decided to write and perform a new song, which they called “Houston #1”:
“We thought, well, since we’re in Miami and we’ve got a couple of days to spare, let’s write a song for Houston and we’ll sing it to you tonight and we’ll send it over there in all the spirits of joy and friendship and hopefulness. So this is called ‘Houston #1.’ This is because we all grew up loving country music, and of course that’s kind of what we think of when we go to Texas. So, if you’ll bear with us, this is a new song and we’ll never play this again. It’s a one-off and this is called ‘Houston.’ We’re gonna sing it in Miami for everybody here, and we’re gonna send it over there to everyone who missed the show.”
The song, which definitely has the as-promised country vibe, begins with Martin looking forward to the next time he finds himself in the city: “I’m dreamin’ of when I get back to Houston / I’m dreamin’ of that very special place / I’m dreamin’ of when Houston has no problems / In that city where they send you into space.” Then, the hook shares a message of encouragement: “I’m dreamin’ of when I get back to Texas / Corpus Christi, Harris County, Galveston / There’s a harmony that bonds down there in Houston / Oh Houston, you got to keep on keeping on.”
Although Martin said this was the only time they’d ever play the song, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see them trot it out once more the next time they perform in Houston. The band posted footage of the Miami performance on their Youtube page, so check it out above.
