Grace: Marcus Mumford

On September 16th, Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons released his first solo album, “Self-Titled.” While I’m a big believer in listening to an album for the first time with no distractions, “Self-Titled” was released at the end of the second week of school, meaning I was unprepared for the overwhelm I was experiencing and had no time to let the music sink in as I usually do. So I listened in the gym. Big mistake for me who doesn’t like to show emotion in public, as tears came and I could not stop them–particularly during the song “Grace”.

The song comes second on the album–in full, a story of Mumford’s experience healing from childhood sexual assault–and is a song of release. In an interview with the LA Times, Mumford says “Hopefully it [Grace] represents some of the freedom and playfulness that has come despite this — and that I do believe comes in people’s lives despite whatever they go through.” He seems to know how necessary this song becomes to those who may be in the thick of the healing process, who don’t know there is a grace that comes, “Grace like a river” as Mumford puts it.

Mumford’s never-missing knowledge of what sounds will lend themselves best to the emotional exigence of certain tracks (in this case, a full base overlaid with guitar and a tambourine in the background) are what make this song and the whole album really special. This, paired with these lyrics:

“And yes, there will come a time / When it won’t feel just like living it over and over…And I hear there’s healing just around this corner…But I’m still trying / Still getting used to this place.”

This place of Grace after being haunted by experiences that forced him (and listeners) to be small, helpless, used.

It is for these reasons, among so many others, that I deem “Grace” a deep-breathing, closed-eyes, clenched-and-released-fists, can’t-help-but-move, tears-understood track.