I'm Clifford Stumme, and I use literary analysis and research to explain the deeper meanings of pop songs. Feel free to leave a comment or to email me at clifford@popsongprofessor.com with questions or ideas!
Any song on Wilder Mind that's upbeat is a surprise. In the case of "Ditmas," it's certainly a pleasant one. The song nearly lilts as it rushes through the story of yet another love that isn't working out, this time through the fault of a woman who accuses Mumford of having changed even while she leaves him behind for a "[a] life lived much too fast." The song is sad, but it's not mournful; Mumford argues deftly and powerfully-he won't let the blame for the end of this relationship fall on him.
"Cold Arms"is a song of pain and sorrow, which isn't anything new to Wilder Mind but this song asks a tough question and shows what may be the difficult-to-live-with wrong answer.Marcus Mumford and the band play this song slowly and mournfully, a strummed electric guitar ringing out just enough melody to highlight the sadness of what is being said. "Cold Arms" goes beyond the other songs on the album in its attempt to be truly honest and vulnerable with its audience.An interesting aspect of "Cold Arms" is the ease with which one can sing along with it, and doing so, oddly enough, feels confessional and cleansing. The lyrics are about a man who told a woman he loved her without meaning it. His words have brought them together, but the words were empty, so the two end the song together in a bad situation, not really loving each other and simply keeping up a ruse they both know is false.
I try to keep my own personality out of my song explanation posts as much as possible, and I tried to stay objective and unbiased for this song, but I love "Broad-Shouldered Beasts" so much that I've got to say something about it. It's the seventh song on Wilder Mind, and other than "Believe," it's the only song on the album that's filled my eyes with tears. It's beautiful and sweet and calming and reassuring. The love demonstrated in this song is the purest I've seen so far in this album, and it's wonderful. You've got to listen to it for yourself.
The sixth track on Wilder Mind is "Monster," and it's a slow melancholy reverie on a relationship that actually does have hope for survival, though not without a letting go of ambition. Ringing electric guitar, gentle harmonies, and an easy-going melody give the song a thoughtful, near-bluesy relaxing feel. It's the kind of song you could listen to quietly as you drift off to sleep, and it's available on Amazon!
While you may begin listening to the fifth track on Wilder Mind wondering whether or not it's sponsored by tobacco companies, you'll soon find out that the cryptic title "Just Smoke" has a bit more depth and a little bit more pain associated with it than you'd have expected. Additionally, a rousing chorus filled with harmonies, major chords, and powerful synth propel this song to a level of excitement not yet heard on this album. The song is fairly complicated, despite the lyrics being largely literal, but the message is a valuable and worthwhile perspective on a broken relationship. Mumford sings about his misplaced faith in young love and how it wasn't strong enough for him. The song is the story of the heart-breaking process of ending a relationship built on young love.
The drum beat at the beginning of "Wilder Mind" from the new Mumford & Sons album Wilder Mind had me confused. It's upbeat and happy-sounding and fairly fast. The previous songs released had been moody and heavy, but this song was so much lighter, suggesting far lighter tone and subject matter. However, the difference didn't last; the music thickened quickly and the lyrics in "Wilder Mind" are still intense and near-brooding.
"Tompkins Square Park" is about a relationship that ends in Tompkins Square Park in New York City, the site, according to Wikipedia, of numerous riots over the past 150 years. The park served as a gathering place for artists (Allen Ginsberg lived nearby during the 1988 riots), bohemians, and the homeless. Due to gentrification, the park has lost some of its artsy vibe, but its legacy serves well as a backdrop for the difficult subject of Mumford & Sons's new song.
The internet is helpless in the face of Mumford & Sons's latest lyrical enigma. What in the world does "Snake Eyes" from Wilder Mind mean after all? No one seems to know. The internet is a song interpretation wasteland. Thin, wavering voices call for clarity. But no one speaks... Until now.
Everybody's talking about Mumford & Sons' new bango-less sound, but the depth of meaning and vulnerability in the bare lyrics of "Believe," the band's first single from Wilder Mind, should be enough to keep everyone happily occupied, even if they don't like the new style.
"Stressed Out" is about the transition from childhood to adulthood. The music is intense and varied with a wide array of styles being mashed into the only 3:45 long, also-unique music video, in which Tyler and Josh revisit their childhood homes and families to ride kid's three wheelers and perform in their old bedrooms. But most interesting of all, the lyrics of "Stressed Out" are perhaps even deeper than those of the previous two songs from Blurryface, though they are a bit less symbolic and more sincerely clear.
I'm distressed because researching "Style" by Taylor Swift had me Googling "what color are Harry Styles's eyes?" But this post was worth it; as usual with pop songs, there's more than meets the listener's ears.
Most believe this song to be a commentary on Swift's past relationship with One Direction's Harry Styles. You've probably heard the song on the radio or seen it peak at #6 on the Hot 100 Billboard. It's catchy, edgy, serious, and about a relationship. So, it's gold in the current pop music market.
Think theology has no place in pop music? "Prayer in C" by Lilly Wood & The Prick has got a lot of theological argument in its lyrics, and it's mainly anti-theological.
What's the most intense and scary song that I could find on the local top 40 station? Definitely "Take Me to Church" by Hozier. There's no question. This song is heavy and full of meaning. And it happens to be very culturally relevant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSVMgRr6pw
Mumford and Sons just released the next installment from their soon-to-come album, Wilder Mind. The song is called "The Wolf," and it's a departure from their earlier music. Gone are the days of hipster alternative blends of folk instruments and crooning, soulful harmonies. "The Wolf" retains some of the familiar harmonizing, but everything is more intense. While his voice stays recognizable, the music surrounding Marcus Mumford's vocals is much grittier and much more rockin' & rollin'.
Twenty One Pilots just came out with their next single from Blurryface, “Tear in My Heart,” and it’s a departure for them. Few of their songs are quite this upbeat or positive musically, and the lyrics are interesting because, in them, Tyler uses fairly dark imagery to suggest a positive meaning. Overall, the song’s really something special, especially for Twenty One Pilots to be creating. I think you’re going to like it.
“Fairly Local,” a single from Blurryface, was released last week, and it’s really good. While I’m afraid that it lacks a little bit of the lyrical depth of other Twenty One Pilots songs, the music is intense and interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing whether this is a precursor to a likewise album, or if they released it first because of it’s blood-pumping, energizing feel, and decided to save the even better stuff for later.
