In England, Coldplay are currently working "The Scientist" as the second single from their latest album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. Folks at the band's U.S. label, however, apparently felt the song didn't provide enough of a blood rush for American listeners, so they've chosen to go with the slightly more upbeat "Clocks," which will be pushed to radio in early November.

The song starts with delicate piano intertwined with an atmospheric synth line, then an insistent drum beat and throbbing bass punctuate the quiet. Guitars take a backseat in the song until the bridge, when they're used to build tension and provide dynamics.

Like most songs on A Rush of Blood to the Head, "Clocks" is about love gone awry (see [article id="1457204"]"Coldplay Bleed For Beauty On A Rush Of Blood To The Head"[/article]). But the self-pitying is far from cliché, and right before the chorus, vocalist Chris Martin sings the tune's most pointed line, "Come out upon my seas, curse missed opportunities/ Am I a part of the cure, or am I part of the disease."

"I reckon everybody in the world questions whether they're useful to the world or not," said Martin. "Some people think they're doing marvelous things. Hitler thought he was doing great things for the world, and yet we'd all say, 'No, no, no, he was doing terrible things.' Some people would say that Coldplay is a great thing for music and the world. Other people would regard us as the devil incarnate, so of course it's always a conflict."

No video has been shot yet for "Clocks," and the band's label is currently deciding whether to quickly commission a new video or to hold off until early 2003 when a video that was already shot for "The Scientist" will be added to rotation. Director Jamie Thraves (Travis, Blur, the Verve) shot "The Scientist" clip in Surrey, England, and London between September 30 and October 3.