Poem Analysis: I Hear Jerusalem Horses

The rest of the song allows a closer look into the religious beliefs of the writer. “I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing / Roman cavalry choirs are singing / Be my mirror, my sword and shield / My missionaries in a foreign field.” Chris hearing the bells and choirs symbolizes his acceptance of faith or religion in a way he did not accept it before. After the loss he went through, it seems as though he has found religion as a way to cope. The mirror, sword, and shield also symbolize his newfound faith. The mirror will allow him to reflect his faith in God, the sword is the strength he will gain from his trust, and the shield is the protection God promises to provide. When he talks about missionaries, it seems as though he has accepted that he
Before, when he considered himself a ruler, he considered himself the most important person. Now that he no longer has this complex of superiority, however, he has accepted religion in belief that he can fix the mistakes he made in the past. The next lines read, “For some reason I can't explain / I know St Peter won't call my name.” This line really shows Chris reflecting back on his life. He does make another biblical reference in the lyric, as St. Peter is an apostle of Jesus. Chris realizes that he took advantage of the life he had before, and understands that his actions were dishonorable. This leads him to speculate whether or not he will be allowed to enter Heaven, and he comes to conclude that he will not. This allows the listener to understand the guilt he feels and how he has changed as a person over this period of his life. He concludes by saying, “Never an honest word / But that was when I ruled the world.” This line exhibits the thought process behind Chris’ decision. He thinks a part of the reason he will not be accepted into Heaven is because of all of the lies he used to tell, but he explains that that was his life before. He has now
The song goes back and forth multiple times, first discussing how the writer was powerful. He controlled everything and nothing could stop him. Then it quickly shifts as he discusses how he lost everything. His power was gone, and realizes he had nothing left. He uses multiple examples to portray this throughout several verses. Then he mentions how he found religion after his downfall, and how it started to change his outlook on life. He uses more examples of his past to explain how finding God has changed him and made him into a person he could have never been before. Despite the many setbacks and failures Chris has obviously struggled with in his life, the moral of the song, put simply, is to just have faith. He used his faith to pull him out of one of the deepest struggles in his life, and without it, he could not have reached the successes of his life today. The title encapsulates this message very well. When translated from Spanish, Viva La Vida means to live life. When Chris had to completely reevaluate his life and where he had came from, he decided to continue on and find something to help him. He decided finding God was his redemption, and with his newly discovered faith, he was able to accept his past, and continue living life the way he believed he