Parachutes

The song Parachutes, which gives its title to Coldplay's first album, is a brief but significant moment within that work. With a duration of just 46 seconds, it functions almost as a reflective pause, a sonic breath that precedes or follows other more extensive pieces. This track is number seven on the album's tracklist.

The choice of the name Parachutes for the album, and therefore for this piece, arose from a metaphor about safety in times of difficulty, like a parachute that helps you land. Interestingly, other titles such as Don't Panic or Yellow were considered before settling on this one. The album Parachutes was released in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2000, by Parlophone, and in the United States on November 7, 2000, through Nettwerk. It was co-produced by Ken Nelson and the band, with the exception of High Speed, which had exclusive production by Chris Allison. After its release, the album reached number one on the UK charts and has been certified 9 times Platinum. To promote the album, Coldplay embarked on the Parachutes Tour between 2000 and 2001. The recording featured engineering by Simon “Barny” Barnicott, Jon Coles, Ken Nelson, Paul Read, and Andrea Wright, while mixing was handled by Michael Brauer.