“And after the storm/I run and run as the rains come/And I look up, I look up” as soon as that last line was uttered it started to pour. Granted this hard rain lasted all of a minute before it turned back to drizzle, but it was still pretty cool to see Mother Nature adding her own pyro show to our song of the day. Isn’t it wonderful that everyone is doing their part to make the song of the day even more awesome? Mother Nature’s rain show aside I totally dig Mumford & Sons and their ability to make the banjo cool again. It is no longer the creepy instrument that insinuates really bad times in the woods with rednecks (all kidding aside the banjo will always insinuate that) or Andy from the Office instrument of choice, now it’s a pivotal part of a rock band. Good for you banjo! Actually I’d like to see Mumford & Sons and Andy from the Office have a banjo off (please notice that I chose not use the term dueling banjos). That would be pretty awesome. Dear Office writers, make it happen.
For me the best part of Mumford & Sons is their ability to tell a story. There’s nothing worse than a group who has an awesome story to tell but once they start to sing it gets lost in the music. Has that ever happened to you? You have a band that you like or sort of like and you hear this song and a part of you likes it but the rest of you is like there’s something missing. So you look up the lyrics while it’s playing and you realize that the story is awesome it’s the music that isn’t so good. It’s enough to break your heart. Mumford & Sons seem to build their stories around the soundtrack of their music. The Cave and Little Lion Man are excellent songs because the stories being told match up with the music surrounding it. For those of you who don’t have or haven’t listened to the full album please check out Dust Ball Dance. For me it’s the best song on the record. There is so much emotion dripping from every word sung and the music carries each word with an exclamation point. I don’t know how many of you have heard White, Discussion by Live but it kind of reminds me of Dust Ball Dance. Maybe it’s because both songs start off slow and get heavy or maybe it’s because I think these two songs bookend their collective albums perfectly (White, Discussion is one of the most underrated songs off of Throwing Copper). Whatever it is I just feel that these two songs belong together in a playlist somewhere, and I should be the person to bring them together. Or have I already done that? (Update: no I have not).
After the Storm reminds me of that poem Footsteps (the one where God carries you over the tough times). It seems to be about a person who is on the brink of losing everything or has already lost everything and looks up to the heavens for help. What happens is that they glimpse a time where they’re suffering will pass and they’ll be able to love unconditionally and not be afraid of being hurt. Sadly this happens only after they get hit by a pick-up truck, survive, only to be stabbed by a hobo who wants a turkey sandwich (this is just my interpretation of said persons death feel free to use your own). This hobo stabbing sends them to the heavens where their suffering will end. A lot of Mumford & Sons subject matter is kind of depressing (for further proof listen to Sigh No More), and I think that After the Storm is supposed to be kind of uplifting. The hope that things will get better but with the understanding that they’re going to suck while you’re still on earth. A very tough pill to swallow.
And I will die alone and be left there/Well, I guess I'll just go home, oh God knows where/Because death is just so full and mine so small/Well, I'm scared of what's behind and what's before
Geez that’s some heavy stuff. Questioning ones mortality at 7:12 in the morning is a bit early, especially in light of the possible end of the world on Saturday (for those of you who don’t know the world is supposed to end on Saturday May 21st in a massive earthquake at 6 pm. I guess this begs the question 6 pm where? The world does not share a universal time so if it’s 6 pm on the east coast of the U.S. first does the rest of the world have to wait to 6 pm their time before they get the massive earthquake of death?) I like this song and listened to it twice this morning (the second time after listening to the Golden State…again). Depressing subject matter aside it’s a good song that tells it’s story well. You feel for this person who is awaiting death so they aren’t alone anymore (man I really need to hear the Ewok Celebration right now). Like I said it’s a lot to digest. Hmmmm, maybe this will lead to a series of songs discussing the end of the world. Perhaps tomorrow we’ll get Apocalypse Please by Muse and cap it all off with R.E.M.’s It’s the End of the World. If that happens I don’t think I’m going to write a post, instead I’ll be in a bunker somewhere. Things to think about I suppose.
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