There Will Be Time by Mumford & Sons

Album: Johannesburg (2016)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This song finds the Mumford & Sons quartet hooking up with Senegalese musician Baaba Maal and The Very Best. The latter are a collaboration between London-based DJ/production duo Radioclit and Malawi singer Esau Mwamwaya.
The Mumfords were introduced to Baaba Maal by The Very Best's Johan Karlberg back in 2013. A friendship quickly grew, which led to the musicians all spending some writing time together. They recorded "There Will Be Time" at Eastcote Studios, London in September 2015.
The song was premiered live in Cape Town, South Africa in January 2016 by Mumford & Sons with Baaba Maal and The Very Best, during the English band's sold-out debut shows in the country.
This single was released exclusively in South Africa on February 4, 2016 to coincide with Mumford & Sons' tour there. It shot straight to #1 in that country upon release.
According to the press release, the musicians performed this on stage in Pretoria during a huge storm. It goes on to say, "The thunder seemed to crack with percussionist Mamadou Saar's every other beat. It was quite something to behold. Pathetic fallacy, of sorts. In the rain the good people of Pretoria and its surrounding villages danced and embraced the moment. This one was theirs to embrace."

Comments: 1

Jacey Kelly from Madras, OrThis song. It has inspired me. And made me realize my great loves even if it isn't romantic. I listened to it more than any other song. I wish I could speak to Baaba Maal and Marcus Mumford and the whole band to see what it means to them. I feel a such passion when listening to this song more than any other of their songs (and I am a big fan of mainly the Mumford and Sons because English but when I look up the lyrics to Baaba Maal OMG). But this is my go to song. It gives me such lightness and truth and I wish to know what the inspiration was. I love bog but not easily, and yet I can relate to this song so easily. I NEED TO KNOW ITS INSPIRATION NOW. It has been too long without knowing. I'll go old age and find out how to write a letter to these guys to find out.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

WaterfallsTLC

Cee-Lo Green sang backup on the 1994 TLC hit "Waterfalls."

The CaveMumford & Sons

"The Cave" by Mumford & Sons is based on the philosophy of Plato and his work called "Allegory of the Cave."

Right RoundFlo Rida

An unknown Kesha (known then as Ke$ha) sang on Flo-Rida's #1 hit "Right Round," but refused to appear in the video because she wanted to make a name for herself.

Mrs. RobinsonSimon & Garfunkel

The Simon & Garfunkel song "Mrs. Robinson" was originally called "Mrs. Roosevelt," most likely after First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The title was changed when it was considered for use in the film The Graduate, where Anne Bancroft's character is Mrs. Robinson.

The Battle Hymn of the RepublicTraditional

John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath got its title from a line in "The Battle Hymn of the Republic": "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored."

FireJimi Hendrix

Thirty years after Jimi Hendrix played "Fire" at Woodstock, Red Hot Chili Peppers played it at Woodstock '99, but this time the unruly crowd actually set fires and looted.