Lover of the Light

Album: Babel (2012)
Charted: 97
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This boisterous bluegrass banger has been a regular in Mumford & Sons' live sets since early 2010. Keyboard player Ben Lovett told NME: "With Lover of the Light, people would say to us, 'Oh, I can't wait to hear that chorus on record.' But what they really meant by that is they can't wait to hear what they've already heard. But the songs gradually change - we push them into places that feel right for the four of us."
  • The song's music video was filmed in Wales. It stars and was directed by British actor Idris Elba, who is best known for playing Russell "Stringer" Bell in HBO's The Wire and the titular character in the BBC's mini-series Luther, for which he won a Golden Globe in 2012.

    The band do not feature in the clip at all, which was something they were happy about. "We met him (Elba) in a pub in London, and we had a chat, and talked about doing something that was, as a music video, very different from anything we've done before," Marcus Mumford told MTV News. "Firstly, we wouldn't be in it, which is a real relief to us, and secondly, it would be kind of observational, rather than narrative. Some people don't really understand it, which is great, because all that we do is very understandable ... so it's nice to have something that's a little more challenging to understand."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

David Gray

David GraySongwriter Interviews

David Gray explains the significance of the word "Babylon," and talks about how songs are a form of active imagination, with lyrics that reveal what's inside us.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.