"Babel" is a song performed by British folk rock band Mumford & Sons, released as the fourth single from their second studio album Babel (2012). It was released on 9 July 2013 as a digital download. The song was written by Mumford & Sons and produced by Markus Dravs.
| "Babel" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Mumford & Sons | ||||
| from the album Babel | ||||
| Released | 9 July 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2011—2012 | |||
| Genre | Indie folk | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | Island Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford and Winston Marshall | |||
| Producer(s) | Markus Dravs | |||
| Mumford & Sons singles chronology | ||||
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About the name edit
"Babel" is the name of both the song and the album on which their song appeared. The title is a reference to the story known as the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11:1–9 in the Bible.[1] The song features numerous other biblical references too, which is common for music by Mumford & Sons.[2]
Still, they maintain that their message is not intended to be explicitly religious in nature.[3] Rather, their bassist, Ted Dwane, noted in a Rolling Stone interview that the song is more generally about human striving and discontentment: "As humans, we’re such a discontented species. We’re always trying to further ourselves, and you get all the way to the moon and then it’s just discontent. You want to go to Mars."[4]
Music video edit
A music video to accompany the release of "Babel" was first released onto YouTube on 8 July 2013 at a total length of four minutes and five seconds.[5] The video shows the band performing the song in the former 16th Street station in Oakland, California.[6][7]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Babel" | 3:29 |
Charts and certifications edit
Weekly charts edit
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Year-end charts edit
Certifications edit
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Release history edit
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 9 July 2013 | Digital download | Island Records |
References edit
- ^ "Mumford & Sons: Finding Balance In 'Babel'". NPR. September 23, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ "Mumford Review: Babel". The Two Cities. 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ^ NME (2012-09-28). "Mumford And Sons' Marcus Mumford: Babel' is not a statement of Christian faith'". NME. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ^ Doyle, Patrick (2012-08-08). "Q&A: Mumford & Sons' Ted Dwane on New Album, Possible Move to U.S." Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ^ Mumford & Sons - Babel on YouTube
- ^ Mumford & Sons unveil new single 'Babel' music video - watch - Music News - Digital Spy
- ^ "Where should Treasure Island Music Festival 2017 relocate?". San Francisco Chronicle. October 7, 2016.
- ^ "Mumford & Sons – Babel" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ "Triple A Songs: 2013 (Year-End)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
- ^ "British single certifications – Mumford & Sons – Babel". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
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