The Meaning Behind “Rubber Band Man” by Mumford & Sons and Hozier and How Brandi Carlile Dreamed It Into Existence

Mumford & Sons collaborated with Hozier on the folk group’s 2025 single, “Rubber Band Man”. But the all-star track began when Brandi Carlile wrote a set of verses in her sleep.

“Rubber Band Man” was co-produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner and appears on Mumford & Sons’ sixth studio album Prizefighter.

Behind the Lyrics

Marcus Mumford was in Paris when he received a message from Carlile. She told him she’d had a dream about him and had written a poem from it. He asked if he could write a song around her verses, and Carlile said, “Yeah, that’s what they’re for!”

When you can’t win for losing,
And the beggars start choosing the chaos in your head.
Calls the cracks to start showing,
All knowing, all glowing with the light of the…

Dying to raise the dead, oh.

The song feels like a conversation between partners. It’s a pep talk to remain flexible amid internal anxieties.

You’re a world away,
But you’re still the same.
I know you by your heart,
I will call you by your name.
And it’s a long way,
From the crack to the break.
You know that I remember everything.

Hozier

Hozier enters with more reassuring words. But he also offers advice. You can either evangelize or enjoy nature. Either way, he encourages his friend to avoid rigid thought and stubborn shortsightedness.

Steady yourself,
And your tumbleweed words.
Be a street corner preacher,
Or just feed the birds.
But don’t hold to yourself,
With hard mortar and stone.
Be a rubber band man,
Make the water your bones.

Dying just to live now.

Forever is permanent, but Mumford’s partner reminds him that everything goes away. People strive for constants in their lives. It offers stability. But people change, as does the rest of the world. Ideas must evolve, too.

When I said, “Forever.”
You said, “Get back in the car.”
Nothing lasts forever, babe,
You know it breaks my heart.

Finally, even though he’s “a world away,” he hasn’t changed at all. He thought he found strength in rigor. Instead, he just refused to grow.

But as the track progresses, the story zooms in on the couple’s relationship. The emotional cracks in him have created distance between the two. If it’s already broken, he asks, then can we make a start?

Photo by Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images