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.
Unfinished Business
Mumford & Sons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just put down those scissors, baby,
On the single bed.
The sand in the hour glass is running low,
I came through thunder, the cold wind, the rain and the snow,
To find you awake by your window sill,
A sight for sore eyes, and a view to kill.
The glow from the moon shone through cracks in your hair.
I shouted with passion "I love you so much",
But feeling my skin, it was cold to the touch.
You whispered "Where are you?",
I questioned your doubt,
But soon realized you were talking to God now.
But you've got blood your hands and I know it's mine,
I just need more time.
So get off your low, let's dance like we used to.
And there's a light in the distance, waiting for me,
I will wait for you.
So get off your low, let's kiss like we used to.
I looked in the mirror, but something was wrong.
I saw you behind, but my reflection was gone.
There was smoke in the fireplace as white as the snow.
A voice beckoned gently "Now it's time to go".
A requiem played as you begged for forgiveness.
"Don't touch me!" I screamed,
"I've got unfinished business."
But you've got blood your hands and I know it's mine,
I just need more time.
So get off your low, let's dance like we used to.
And there's a light in the distance, waiting for me,
I will wait for you.
So get off your low, let's kiss like we used to.
But you've got blood your hands and I know it's mine,
I just need more time.
So get off your low, let's dance like we used to.
And there's a light in the distance, waiting for me,
I will wait for you.
So get off your low, let's kiss like we used to.
The lyrics to Mumford & Sons's song "Unfinished Business" express intense emotions, haunting dreams, and unresolved issues between two lovers. The singer is asking for a moment to clear their head and appeals to their partner to put down the scissors on the bed. The sand in the hourglass is running low, indicating a sense of urgency to resolve the situation. The imagery of thunder, cold wind, rain, and snow suggests a tumultuous journey to reach their partner at the window. The sight of their partner awake is a sight for sore eyes, indicating relief that they are still there.
However, the singer is horrified by their partner's presence as they realize how much they love them. They feel their skin is cold to the touch, and their partner whispers asking where they are. The singer questions their doubt but then realizes they are talking to God. The lyrics further intensify as the singer accuses their partner of having blood on their hands, which they know is theirs. The singer pleads for more time, and instead of dwelling on the past, encourage their partner to dance and kiss like they used to. The singer sees a light in the distance and vows to wait for their partner before calling out to them one last time.
The lyrics of "Unfinished Business" were inspired by a dream that lead singer Marcus Mumford had. He wrote the song about his struggles with love and faith.
The song was released on November 16, 2018, as a part of the group's fourth studio album "Delta."
"Unfinished Business" was produced by Paul Epworth, who has worked with other major artists such as Adele, Florence + The Machine, and U2.
Mumford & Sons recorded the album using analog recording techniques, giving the music a warm, vintage sound.
"Unfinished Business" features a haunting melody with acoustic guitar, banjo, piano, and cello, creating a beautiful harmony of sounds.
The song has been described as a slow-burn epic that is both uplifting and melancholic.
The album Delta, which includes the song "Unfinished Business," has been certified platinum in the UK.
The song has been performed live by Mumford & Sons on their Delta World Tour, including a performance at the 2019 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.
Mumford & Sons have stated that "Unfinished Business" is one of their favorite songs to perform live because of its emotional intensity and the connection it creates with their fans.
Chords: G, D, Em, C.
Line by Line Meaning
Just give me a second, darling, to clear my head.
Please give me a moment, my love, to gather my thoughts and emotions.
Just put down those scissors, baby, On the single bed.
Please stop cutting or destroying things, my dear, and sit down on the bed.
The sand in the hour glass is running low, I came through thunder, the cold wind, the rain and the snow, To find you awake by your window sill, A sight for sore eyes, and a view to kill.
Time is running out, and I went through difficult obstacles to find you awake and beautiful by your window.
I broke down in horror at you standing there, The glow from the moon shone through cracks in your hair.
I was terrified when I saw you there, and the moonlight made your hair look like it had cracks in it.
I shouted with passion "I love you so much", But feeling my skin, it was cold to the touch.
I declared my love with great intensity, but I realized that I was numb and couldn't feel anything.
You whispered "Where are you?", I questioned your doubt, But soon realized you were talking to God now.
You asked me where I was, and I wondered why you didn't trust me, but then I realized you were praying to God.
But you've got blood your hands and I know it's mine, I just need more time.
You have my blood on your hands, and I need more time to resolve this situation.
So get off your low, let's dance like we used to. And there's a light in the distance, waiting for me, I will wait for you. So get off your low, let's kiss like we used to.
Let's stop feeling sorry for ourselves and dance and kiss like we used to. There's hope in the distance, and I'll wait for you.
I looked in the mirror, but something was wrong. I saw you behind, but my reflection was gone.
When I looked in the mirror, something was off. I saw your reflection instead of mine.
There was smoke in the fireplace as white as the snow. A voice beckoned gently "Now it's time to go". A requiem played as you begged for forgiveness. "Don't touch me!" I screamed, "I've got unfinished business."
Smoke filled the white fireplace while a voice gently called me to leave. You begged for forgiveness as a requiem played. I screamed not to touch me because I still had unfinished work to do.
Contributed by Molly Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@austinpadalec1435
Mumford and Sons has to be the most creative band ever. There sound could never be the same as someone elses music. Ive tried writing songs with guitar and banjo and piano in it and i cant make it sound alike unless u play a actual mumford and sons song. Ex. Roll away your stone. This band helped me so much in my hardest times and i wont ever stop listenng
@riccardosorrentino1060
If you listen to them while really high its a whole next level trance! You just mong away letting your imagination flow with the lyrics and instrumental!
@josephm8995
The banjo adds so much.
@billibobbatman
White lies and Mumford and sons are such different artists that it's like two completely different, completely amazing songs. Love it.
@easternCriminal
That moment when you realize the story is front eh perspective of a ghost that doesn't want to move on
@gazlenemembrane491
oh my god, I just realised that!
@abi-miabyrnes3348
Thats so sad
@commanderjae9888
And by the way he's talking about the other person, that's his murderer who may have been his significant other.
@MariaEduarda-ng1th
Oh fuck
@jragonbreath
yeah me too