Avid fans of folk music anxiously waited for the arrival of Oct. 24, which brought with it the release of Mumford & Sons new song “Rubber Band Man” featuring Hozier. The collaboration of these two major artists in the genre has been promoted for about a month prior to its release.
In an interview with Track Star*, a show that reaches out to different artists to talk to them about their music, lead singer Marcus Mumford discussed how he came up with the initial idea for the song.
He explained that it came from another singer and friend of his, Brandi Carlile.
She had messaged him about a dream she had written about which included what eventually became part of the lyrics for “Rubber Band Man.”
The term ‘rubber band man’ has actually been around for a while. It refers to someone who, when in a relationship, pulls away from their partner and only then is able to better understand their feelings for them, causing them to return again.
This is the general theme of the song. It tells the story of a man going through this emotional cycle of pulling away before returning again to his partner.
Both Mumford & Sons and Hozier are well known for their beautiful songs and poetic lyrics, so there was a lot of positive discourse surrounding the rumors and clips teasing the new song. It is safe to say that the high expectations that fans of both artists had for this collaboration have been met and exceeded.
The biggest aspect of the song that stood out to me on my first listen through was the harmonization.
Hozier and Mumford & Sons each have very distinct voices and musical styles, and when put together in combination with the lyrics of “Rubber Band Man,” it contributes significantly to the emotional weight and yearning of the song.
After listening through a second, third and even fourth time, one starts to get a better understanding of the song’s storyline.
Reading and analyzing the lyrics to this song as it played really intensified their meaning for me.
Each listen through held more emotional impact than the last as I noticed new details each time. One of these being the ambiguity of the perspective that the speaker is taking.
One would assume that since all of the singers are male that the song is from a man’s perspective, but I do not think that is necessarily true for its entirety.
The end of the song seems to be from the perspective of a man dating a woman as he references her putting on makeup and doing her hair.
However, I would argue that the middle of the song, specifically the verse sung by Hozier, could be from the perspective of a woman speaking to her lover, the ‘rubber band man.’
Another interpretation that crossed my mind is that the ‘rubber band man’ is reflecting on his own actions and how he treated his lover, expressing his regret of his choices.
The multiple interpretations of the perspectives in this song are extremely intriguing as they can change the meaning to the listener depending on how they take it. All in all, anyone who is looking for a heartfelt, folksy song should definitely consider adding this one to their playlist.
Delaney Smith is a first-year majoring in English literature and English creative writing with a minor in history and law, justice and society
