Mumford & Sons have released four studio albums: Sigh No More (2009), Babel (2012), Wilder Mind (2015), and Delta (2018). Sigh No More peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and the Billboard 200 in the US, with Babel and Wilder Mind both debuting at number one in the UK and US, the former becoming the fastest-selling rock album of the decade and leading to a headline performance at Glastonbury Festival in 2013. The band has also issued two live albums: Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire (2011) and The Road to Red Rocks (2012).
Mumford & Sons were formed in December 2007 by multi-instrumentalists Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall and Ted Dwane. Band members play acoustic guitar, drums, keyboard instruments, bass guitar, and traditional folk instruments such as banjo, mandolin and resonator guitar. The band name originates from the fact that Marcus Mumford was the most visible member, organizing the band and their performances. Lovett indicated that the name was meant to invoke the sense of an "antiquated family business name".
A handful of similar bands were increasing their visibility in West London around the same time, giving rise to the label "West London folk scene". Mumford downplays that characterisation as an exaggeration—Mumford & Sons and a few other folk acts just happened to be operating in the same general area at the time. In an interview with the Herald Sun, Marcus Mumford said, "It's not folk really. Well, some of it is, and it's certainly not a scene. Someone got over-excited about a few bands who live in a hundred-mile radius and put it in a box to sell it as a package. It's a community, not a scene. It's not exclusive." Having developed in the same musical and cultural environment, Mumford & Sons' sound has been compared to that of artists such as Noah and the Whale, Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling, whose backing band had included Marshall, Mumford, and Dwane.
In early 2008 the band began working with manager Adam Tudhope, who, as part of management company Everybody's, also represents Keane and Laura Marling. It was through Tudhope's connection that Mumford & Sons were exposed to their future A&R at Island, Louis Bloom, who began monitoring the band. Bloom told HitQuarters that they were still at a fledgling state and not yet ready for a label deal: "There was no one there for it, just a few friends, and they needed time to develop. Over the next six months I kept going to see them and they were literally picking up fans every time."
In February 2008, the band completed an extensive UK tour with support from Alessi's Ark, Sons of Noel and Adrian, Peggy Sue and others. June 2008 marked the band's first appearance at the Glastonbury Festival. They also toured Australia with Laura Marling, whose disinclination to interact with audiences encouraged Mumford into the spotlight. The experience helped inform his attitude towards Mumford & Sons audiences, which is to interact frequently and to try to create a comfortable, casual atmosphere. Mumford & Sons' first project was an EP entitled Love Your Ground which took a year to complete and was released in November 2008 on Chess Club Records.
The band began by using bluegrass and folk instrumentation, with the core instruments of acoustic guitar, banjo, piano and a double bass, played with a rhythmic style based in alternative rock and folk. In the documentary Big Easy Express, Marcus Mumford recognizes the Old Crow Medicine Show influence: "I first heard Old Crow’s music when I was, like, 16, 17, and that really got me into, like, folk music, bluegrass. I mean, I’d listened to a lot of Dylan, but I hadn’t really ventured into the country world so much. So Old Crow were the band that made me fall in love with country music." Mumford acknowledges that "the band inspired them to pick up the banjo and start their now famous country nights in London." Ketch Secor, Old Crow front-man, concurs: "Those boys took the message and ran with it.
Much of Mumford & Sons' lyrical content has a strong literary influence, its debut album name deriving from William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. The track "Sigh No More" includes lines from the play such as Serve God love me and mend, For man is a giddy thing, and One foot in sea and one on shore. The title of the song "Roll Away Your Stone" is an allusion to Macbeth; the song includes the line Stars hide your fires/ And these here are my desires which borrows and pares down Macbeth's line in act 1, scene 4: Stars, hide your fires,/ Let not light see my black and deep desires. Additionally, "The Cave" includes several references to The Odyssey, in particular the sirens that Odysseus encounters on his journey home. The song also contains many references to G.K. Chesterton's book, St. Francis of Assisi, in which Chesterton uses Plato's Cave as a way of explaining how St. Francis views the world from God's perspective. "Little Lion Man" appears to be a retelling in dramatic monologue form of Chretien de Troyes' Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, which is the story of a knight who goes mad after betraying a promise to his wife to return to her. Both "Timshel" and "Dust Bowl Dance" draw heavily from the John Steinbeck novels Of Mice and Men, East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath.
The band's change in sound on their third album was described by Lovett as a "natural departure." At the end of the Babel tour Winston Marshall traded his banjo for electric guitar in sound checks and Mumford started playing more drums as the band jammed on heavy instrumentals and even some Radiohead tunes. Banjo does not feature on the record, an instrument that had become synonymous with the band. NME reported that the band's sound is "More expansive than ever and decidedly heavier, thanks to the shift in instrumentation." The group also employed a full drumkit instead of kick drum. "We've had our standard line-up of instruments for the last six years and we felt like that was our palette, [but] we started picking up other stuff," said Lovett. "It's a very natural departure from some of that rootsier stuff."
Lovett told NME that working with James Ford for Wilder Mind was part of trying something new. "We felt a need for change. Not from Markus [Dravs], but he was so closely attached to those first two records that as we had taken that time off, we wanted to try doing something new. It felt like, if we do our third record with Markus, does that mean we do our ninth and 10th records with Markus? At some point you have to try different things, as we collectively felt like it was time to try other stuff. Markus knows that we might well make the next record with him. We definitely haven't broken up [with Dravs], we're just playing the field!".
The band have won a number of music awards throughout their career, with Sigh No More earning the band the Brit Award for Best British Album in 2011 and six overall Grammy Award nominations. The live performance at the 2011 Grammy ceremony with Bob Dylan and The Avett Brothers led to a surge in popularity for the band in the US. The band received eight total Grammy nominations for Babel and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The band also won the Brit Award for Best British Group in 2013.
The Cave
Mumford & Sons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun, it rises slowly as you walk
Away from all the fears
And all the faults you've left behind
The harvest left no food for you to eat
You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see
But I have seen the same
But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again
'Cause I have other things to fill my time
You take what is yours and I'll take mine
Now let me at the truth
Which will refresh my broken mind
So tie me to a post and block my ears
I can see widows and orphans through my tears
I know my call despite my faults
And despite my growing fears
But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again
So come out of your cave walking on your hands
And see the world hanging upside down
You can understand dependence
When you know the maker's hand
So make your siren's call
And sing all you want
I will not hear what you have to say
'Cause I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it's meant to be
And I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again
Mumford & Sons's song "The Cave" is an anthem about perseverance and resilience in the face of adversity. The lyrics "It's empty in the valley of your heart, The sun, it rises slowly as you walk" paints a picture of desolation, loneliness and a sense of inner emptiness. But instead of giving up, the singer encourages the listener to hold on to hope and not to let their past mistakes or fears choke them.
The line "So come out of your cave walking on your hands, And see the world hanging upside down" suggests that the singer wants the listener to look at things from a different perspective, to challenge themselves, and to not be afraid to take risks. The theme of perseverance is further emphasized in the lyrics "And I'll find strength in pain, And I will change my ways, I'll know my name as it's called again." The singer acknowledges that there will be challenges and pain, but that they will overcome them and become a better version of themselves in the process.
Overall, "The Cave" is a powerful song that resonates with anyone who has gone through difficult times and is striving to come out stronger on the other side.
Line by Line Meaning
It's empty in the valley of your heart
You feel a sense of loneliness and emptiness in your heart.
The sun, it rises slowly as you walk
As you walk away from your fears and faults, there is a new dawn of hope rising for you slowly.
Away from all the fears
You're walking towards a place where your fears cannot haunt you anymore.
And all the faults you've left behind
As you leave your faults behind, they might not have completely disappeared, but you have made a choice to not to let them define you anymore.
The harvest left no food for you to eat
You've experienced a lack of opportunities or resources in your life, which have led you to a state of hopelessness.
You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see
You've had to survive in a world where people are ruthless and will do whatever it takes to get ahead.
But I have seen the same
The person singing this song has seen and experienced the same pain and struggles as you.
I know the shame in your defeat
The person singing this song understands how it feels to be defeated and ashamed, and wants you to know that you're not alone in this experience.
But I will hold on hope
Even though life has been difficult, the person singing this song chooses to hold onto hope and not give up.
And I won't let you choke
The person singing this song promises to support you and not let you be brought down by the struggles of life.
On the noose around your neck
The noose represents the hardships and obstacles in life that can hold you back and suffocate you.
And I'll find strength in pain
The person singing this song chooses to find strength in pain and use it as a source of power.
And I will change my ways
The person singing this song realizes that they need to change their ways in order to grow and move forward in life.
I'll know my name as it's called again
They want to rediscover their identity and be grounded in who they really are.
'Cause I have other things to fill my time
The person singing this song has other things in their life that they want to pursue and focus on besides their struggles and hardships.
You take what is yours and I'll take mine
The person singing this song is telling you that they'll focus on what's important to them and you can focus on what's important to you.
Now let me at the truth
They want to discover the truth about their life and overcome any lies or misconceptions they may have about themselves.
Which will refresh my broken mind
They believe that discovering the truth will heal their mind, which has been broken by life's struggles.
So tie me to a post and block my ears
The person singing this song is willing to go to extremes to block out all the negativity and distractions in their life.
I can see widows and orphans through my tears
They've come to a place where they can empathize with others who are struggling and feel their pain deeply.
I know my call despite my faults
They know that they have a purpose and a calling in life, despite their faults and mistakes.
And despite my growing fears
They're aware that fear can grow in their heart, but they won't let it deter them from pursuing their purpose.
So come out of your cave walking on your hands
The person singing this song is urging you to come out of your place of fear and sadness and try something new, even if it feels uncomfortable.
And see the world hanging upside down
By looking at the world from a different perspective, you might see things in a new light and gain a fresh outlook on life.
You can understand dependence
By changing your perspective, you might realize how much you depend on others in your life and how much they depend on you.
When you know the maker's hand
By recognizing the hand of a higher power in your life, you might be able to see how everything fits together and understand your purpose more deeply.
So make your siren's call
The person singing this song is telling you to follow your desires and pursue what you love.
And sing all you want
They're encouraging you to express yourself fully and not hold back.
I will not hear what you have to say
The person singing this song won't let others' opinions or criticisms silence their voice and dreams.
'Cause I need freedom now
The person singing this song desires freedom from the pain and struggles that hold them back.
And I need to know how
They want to know how to break free from their current circumstances and live a fulfilling life.
To live my life as it's meant to be
The person singing this song wants to live their life according to their purpose and destiny.
And I'll find strength in pain
They believe that pain can be used as a source of strength and power.
And I will change my ways
They're open to change and growth in order to live their life to the fullest.
I'll know my name as it's called again
They want to rediscover their identity and be grounded in who they really are.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Benjamin Walter David Lovett, Edward James Milton Dwane, Marcus Oliver Johnstone Mumford, Winston Aubrey Aladar Marshall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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