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.
Whispers in the Dark
Mumford & Sons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swerve not through the minds of men
This lie is dead
This cup of yours tastes holy
But a brush with the devil can clear your mind
Strengthen your spine
Fingers tap into what you were once
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
Whispers in the dark
Steal a kiss and you'll break your heart
Pick up your clothes and curl your toes
Learn your lesson, lead me home
Spare my sins for the ark
I was to slow to depart
I'm a cad but I'm not that flawed
I set out to serve the Lord.
And my heart
Was colder when you've gone
And I lost my head
But found the one that I loved
Under the sun
Under the sun
Fingers tap into what you were once
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
Fingers tap into what you were once
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
And my heart
Was colder when you've gone
And I lost my head
But still, while we are young
While we are young
While we are young
While we are young
In "Whispers in the Dark," Mumford & Sons singer Marcus Mumford is grappling with the consequences of cheating on his lover. He starts by acknowledging the righteousness of his partner, as he says, "You hold your truth so purely / Swerve not through the minds of men." He admits that he lied and betrayed his lover, saying that "This lie is dead." The next lines are equally evocative, as he sings about the "cup" she holds that "tastes holy," suggesting her purity or righteousness, but also speaking to the way he has desecrated her. He then connects the idea of temptation and sin with purity, singing how "a brush with the devil can clear your mind / Strengthen your spine."
The chorus is where Mumford seems to be most racked with guilt, as he sings about small intimacies with other women leading him down a path of destruction. "Whispers in the Dark" is referring to unclear motivations, insinuations from others, and the temptation to cheat with another. The next line is ominous, "steal a kiss and you'll break your heart," suggesting getting physical with someone else will ultimately bring only pain. The next two lines suggest the shame and embarrassment he feels regarding his actions. He longs to make up for his mistakes, asking forgiveness, "Spare my sins for the ark." He acknowledges his past but wants to serve a higher power.
Overall, "Whispers in the Dark" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of cheating and the emotional toll it takes on individuals and relationships. Mumford's poetic language combines religious and romantic themes, lending the song a sense of spiritual urgency while also exploring the emotional nuances of guilt and desire.
Line by Line Meaning
You hold your truth so purely
You firmly believe in your convictions and ideals
Swerve not through the minds of men
Do not be influenced or swayed by the opinions of others
This lie is dead
This falsehood or misconception has been exposed and should no longer persist
This cup of yours tastes holy
Your beliefs and practices seem sacred and pure to you
But a brush with the devil can clear your mind
Sometimes experiencing temptation or darkness can bring clarity or awakening to one's beliefs
Strengthen your spine
Be strong and resilient in facing challenges or adversity
Fingers tap into what you were once
Recall or reconnect with a past version of yourself
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
I'm concerned that I missed a crucial opportunity
Whispers in the dark
Secret or hidden messages or thoughts
Steal a kiss and you'll break your heart
Taking risks or acting on impulse can result in heartbreak or regret
Pick up your clothes and curl your toes
Things are getting intimate or physical, so prepare yourself
Learn your lesson, lead me home
Take heed of past experiences and guide me back to a place of safety or comfort
Spare my sins for the ark
Forgive or overlook my mistakes or faults
I was too slow to depart
I hesitated or delayed in leaving, perhaps causing problems or missed opportunities
I'm a cad but I'm not that flawed
I may have some questionable behavior, but I'm not completely broken or bad
I set out to serve the Lord.
I aspire to do good and honor a higher power
And my heart was colder when you've gone
I felt a void or loss when you left
And I lost my head
I acted impulsively or lost control emotionally
But found the one that I loved
But ultimately discovered the person I was meant to be with
Under the sun
In this world or reality
While we are young
During our youthful, formative years
While we are young
During our youthful, formative years
While we are young
During our youthful, formative years
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
@whitegotham
You hold your truth so purely
Well swerve not through the minds of men
This lie is dead
And this cup of yours tastes holy
But a brush with the Devil can clear your mind
And strengthen your spine
But fingers tap into what you were once
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
Whispers in the dark
Steal a kiss and you'll break your heart
Pick up your clothes and curl your toes
Learn your lesson, lead me home
Spare my sins for the ark
I was too slow to depart
I'm a cad but I'm not a fraud
I'd set out to serve the Lord
But my heart was colder when you'd gone
And I lost my head but found the one that I love
Under the sun, under the sun
But fingers tap into what you were once
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
Fingers tap into what you were once
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
But my heart was colder when you'd gone
And I lost my head
Let's live while we are young
While we are young, while are young
While we are young
@lukehawkins5486
"Whispers In The Dark"
You hold your truth so purely
Well swerve not through the minds of men
This lie is dead
And this cup of yours tastes holy
But a brush with the Devil can clear your mind
And strengthen your spine
But fingers tap into what you were once
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
Whispers in the dark
Steal a kiss and you'll break your heart
Pick up your clothes and curl your toes
Learn your lesson, lead me home
Spare my sins for the ark
I was too slow to depart
I'm a cad but I'm not a fraud
I'd set out to serve the Lord
But my heart was colder when you'd gone
And I lost my head but found the one that I love
Under the sun, under the sun
But fingers tap into what you were once
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
Fingers tap into what you were once
And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
But my heart was colder when you'd gone
And I lost my head
Let's live while we are young
While we are young, while are young
While we are young
@babsavoia
Whispers in the Dark (Mumford & Sons)
Des chuchotements dans le noir
Tu détiens la vérité comme personne
Et bien ne va pas à l'encontre des pensées de l'homme
Ce mensonge n'existe plus
Et ta coupe contient quelque chose de sacré
Mais un petit tour chez le diable
pourrait te rafraîchir la mémoire
Et renforcer ton dos
Mais on montre bien du doigt ce que j'étais autrefois
Et j'ai bien peur d'avoir grillé ma seule chance
Des chuchotements dans le noir
Je te vole un baiser, ça te brisera le cœur
Ramasse tes vêtements et courbe tes orteils
J'ai compris la leçon, ramène-moi à la maison
Garde mes péchés pour l'arche
J'étais trop lent pour partir
Je suis un parasite mais pas un escroc
Je suis venu au monde pour servir le Seigneur
Mais mon cœur était plus froid quand tu es partie
Et j'ai perdu la tête mais trouvé celle que j'aime
Sous le soleil, sous le soleil
Mais on montre bien du doigt ce que j'étais autrefois
Et j'ai bien peur d'avoir grillé ma seule chance
Mais on montre bien du doigt ce que j'étais autrefois
Et j'ai bien peur d'avoir grillé ma seule chance
Mais mon cœur était plus froid quand tu es partie
Et j'ai perdu la tête
Continuons à vivre tant que nous sommes jeunes
Tant que nous sommes jeunes, tant que nous sommes jeunes
Tant que nous sommes jeunes
@bhojingle
my sister and i drove to this concert, couldn't find parking, accidentally were cut off by him and his film crew, followed them into the parking lot and ended up watching the entire filming of his motorcycle scene. it was magical.
@roseoliveira4534
Sooo nice 👏
@gleefull2962
Where are u now
@kaseyberry9596
I love Mumford and Sons and other related bands because they actually make MUSIC. Its not all computer generated, auto-tuned, remixed, or only consisting of 25 words with a chorus that repeats 5 words constantly!
@hotdudeftw
This is just like any other Mumford & Sons song. It just keeps getting better and better everytime you hear it, beautiful!
@hannahblanchsky9681
Four men, one mission; travel across the world and play golden melodies.
@jerryroland4365
Hannah Blanchsky #bringbackthebanjo
@brandonjeter7643
Best Mumford and Sons album EVER!!!!
@jasminfelder1732
there are some bands who are completely awesome. mumford & sons are on top of this list. :-)
@Ukk15
you just made my day better! Mumford & Sons is my favourite band, I could listen to them 24/7 and I wouldn't get bored.It helps through rough times