We rarely cover songs that are months past their release date. But there are exceptions. Take the Grammy Award-winning band Mumford & Sons, for instance. The group’s latest single, “Blind Leading the Blind,” came out in late October. But the video for it dropped just a few days ago. So here we are.
“Blind Leading the Blind” is the band’s first release since its 2018 album, Delta. The song is a lyrical narrative that looks closely at our modern culture, revealing some uncomfortable truths along the way.
Marcus Mumford and the rest of the “sons” dive right into what they think of the current state of things: “My generation’s stuck in the mirror.” That is to say, self-absorbed and narcissistic. So much so that Mumford’s generation has the “luxury” of choosing what they do and do not want to acknowledge: “Forget about the poor, ’cause I don’t like the word/ Justice just gets buried in a white light/I heard there was a time you’d call it shame.”
But while the people he sings about are in desperate need of human connection (“I need to know the name of my neighbor/I am not known if I’m not seen or heard”), they’re also secretly fearful of the unknown and of vulnerability (“And I am afraid of that which I do not know/So why don’t I just ask your f—ing name”).
It’s a group that flees cynicism (“Your cynicism buys me no more time here”) in the search for something they’ve never known (“Running from the weight of ancient labels/And leaving what identity there was”).
Still, Mumford insists that there’s a glimmer of hope to be found in connection and unity: “Let’s raise our hands for a moment/And leave it all behind/Don’t be afraid for a moment/The blind leading the blind.”
Finally, the band declares that the only way to survive and see past narcissism is to connect with others: “So, put your hand in mine tonight/And I will be here/When you’re crying out tonight/I will be here.”
Filmed in an “old, sweaty laundry in Bankok,” the video for “Blind Leading the Blind” focuses on lead singer Marcus Mumford as he sits, alone, pouring himself out while playing drums.
It’s a simple picture that visually represents the disconnect in our modern society this song critiques. We see one man desperate for more connection—a connection that should be filled by relationship instead of media, which only perpetuates isolation.
Apart from some angst, the only real negative in the song itself is that harsh f-word, a tendency the band has exhibited in a few other songs before this one. That vulgarity doesn’t add any value to the song, which otherwise has some important things to say about the necessity of human connection and the beauty of diverse opinions.
As Marcus Mumford told alternativeaddiction.com, “It feels it’s becoming harder and harder to coerce yourself into a listening, present and unafraid disposition, but that’s the gauntlet we’re throwing down for ourselves.”
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
