This song is about a man who is "Looking for excuses," or reasons to leave his lover. He is afraid of commitment and looks for warning signs that will tell him he should leave. After looking for "warning signs" he realizes he misses his lover and he took her for granted ("you were an island and I passed you by"). Luckily, she is willing to come back, as you can see in the line, "So I crawl back into your open arms."
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin confirmed "Warning Sign" was inspired by his split from British live events producer Lily Sobhani. Martin broke up with Sobhani while promoting the band's debut album, Parachutes. Following their split, Sobhani went on to produce a number of music events, including the Live 8 and Live Earth benefit concerts.
Martin hated this song, so much so he tried to remove it from A Rush of Blood to the Head and refused to perform it live. Speaking about his intense dislike for "Warning Sign," Martin explained to Crud Magazine in 2002: "The reason I don't like the song 'Warning Sign' is that it makes you feel sorry for the singer, whereas in fact I know it was written at a time when I was being a total knob. And that's the great joy of music is that one can present oneself as a romantic hero, whereas in fact in real life, that was written in one of my immense periods of being a dickhead."
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