"Babel"
Single by Mumford & Sons
from the album Babel
Released9 July 2013
Recorded2011—2012
GenreIndie folk
Length3:29
LabelIsland Records
Songwriter(s)Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford and Winston Marshall
Producer(s)Markus Dravs
Mumford & Sons singles chronology
"Whispers in the Dark"
(2013)		 "Babel"
(2013)		 "Hopeless Wanderer"
(2013)

"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.

About the name

"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

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

Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Babel"3:29

Charts and certifications

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom 9 July 2013 Digital download Island Records

References

  1. ↑ "Mumford & Sons: Finding Balance In 'Babel'". NPR. September 23, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Mumford Review: Babel". The Two Cities. 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  3. ↑ NME (2012-09-28). "Mumford And Sons' Marcus Mumford: Babel' is not a statement of Christian faith'". NME. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ Mumford & Sons - Babel on YouTube
  6. ↑ Mumford & Sons unveil new single 'Babel' music video - watch - Music News - Digital Spy
  7. ↑ "Where should Treasure Island Music Festival 2017 relocate?". San Francisco Chronicle. October 7, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Mumford & Sons – Babel" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  10. ↑ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  11. ↑ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  12. ↑ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  13. ↑ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  14. ↑ "Mumford Sons Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  15. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  16. ↑ "Triple A Songs: 2013 (Year-End)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  17. ↑ "British single certifications – Mumford & Sons – Babel". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 April 2019.



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