| "The Scientist" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Coldplay | ||||
| from the album A Rush of Blood to the Head | ||||
| B-side | "1.36" "I Ran Away" | |||
| Released | 11 November 2002 (U.K.) 15 April 2003 (U.S.) | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, soft rock | |||
| Length | 5:09 (album version) 4:26 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | Parlophone (UK) Capitol (US) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin | |||
| Producer(s) | Ken Nelson Coldplay | |||
| Coldplay singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "The Scientist" on YouTube | ||||
"The Scientist" is the second single from British alternative rock band Coldplay's second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. The song was written by all the band members for the album together. It is built around a piano ballad. Its lyrics tell the story about a man's desire to love and about an apology. The song was released in the United Kingdom as the second single from A Rush of Blood to the Head and reached number 10 in the UK Charts. It was released in the United States as the third single and reached number 18 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks.
Critics praised "The Scientist". Several remixes of the track have been made. Its riff has been widely sampled. The single's music video won three MTV Music Video Awards, for the video's use of reverse narrative. The song was also featured on the band's 2003 live album Live 2003.
On May 19, 2011, a cover of the song by Mike Posner was leaked.
The song was used by WWE in a tribute to Macho Man Randy Savage that aired on Raw and Smackdown just a few days after his death on May 20, 2011.
"The Scientist" is a melancholic, piano-driven ballad that was written in the key of F major.
| Chart (2002) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Australia ARIA Singles Chart | 40 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 20 |
| Italy Singles Chart | 23 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 15 |
| Polish Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 18 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak Position |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 8 |
| German Singles Chart | 26 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 84 |