Songfacts®:

• This seven-minute anthem closes out Parachutes. A song about remaining hopeful, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin described it as "the message of the album." He added to Select Magazine in 2001: "I do exactly what that song does – think everything's terrible, what's the point, and then think the point is it's not that terrible, you've got to keep going. The thing is, our lives are great. We've had a funny old time but the four of us are closer than we've ever been. Nobody's going to knock us down."
• "Everything's Not Lost" was one of the final songs the band recorded for Parachutes. Speaking to BBC Radio 2's Jo Whiley on the 20th anniversary of the album, Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland explained: "It felt like an unexpected and very welcome addition to the album at a time where I think we felt we'd finished it already. And it's quite often the way when we finish off albums. Something comes along at the last minute to add an extra dimension to it."
• This song was inspired by Oklahoma's The Flaming Lips. The Wayne Coyne-fronted neo-psychedelia outfit is one of Martin's favorite bands. "We wanted to get that really roomy drum sound they have, all that power," Martin told Melody Maker in 2000. "When I saw The Flaming Lips live a few months ago, they were so intense and sincere. That's the feeling I want to capture with Coldplay."
• While performing "Everything's Not Lost" during the lead-up to the 2004 US presidential election, Martin changed the song's chorus to blast Republican candidate George Bush:
  
  If you ever feel neglected
  If George Bush gets reelected
  Then there's trouble for all of us
• "Everything's Not Lost" appears in Season 3, Episode 12 of the Zach Braff-starring comedy Scrubs. "My Catalyst" marked the first appearance of Michael J. Fox as Dr. Kevin Casey – a talented doctor dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Braff was a huge fan of Coldplay, later including "Don't Panic" in the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack for Garden State.
• A short hidden song, "Life Is for Living," can be heard a few seconds after "Everything's Not Lost." The song features the same pump organ used in "Don't Panic."
• Coldplay's debut album, Parachutes, was released to international success in 2000. The album produced four singles: "Shiver," "Yellow," "Trouble," and "Don't Panic." Parachutes later went on to earn the British outfit their first GRAMMY Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2002.