Lovers' Eyes

It didn't surprise me that the majority of the interpretations for this song were concerned with personal relationships. But it did surprise me that there really are no other insights into this song. Taking into account common themes of Mumford and Sons lyrics, I think the meaning is much more universal and significant...

This song is about struggling with sin, struggling to be a good person, struggling to live a Godly life. Let me explain through the lyrics...

I believe the song is a poem which can be applied to anyone, everything he explains is something we all experience in someway in our lives.

[There are several key errors in these lyrics, I have corrected them in brackets, corrected from the Babel album booklet.]

"Well, love was kind for a time and now it just stays and it makes me blind"

This man has tried loving, but true and unselfish love has proven too hard. His failures have caused him to give up and finds it hard to love at all.

"This mirror holds my eyes too bright [that] I can’t see the others in my life"

The mirror is a metaphor for his perception of himself, he (as many of us) can't see, hear, feel the people around him because of his preoccupation with serving himself.

"Were we too young, our heads too strong to bear the weight of [these] lovers’ eyes"

Now, I believe 'lovers' eyes' is used as a romantic synonym for sin, wrong-doings etc. This lyric questions how God could expect us as humans to completely repent sin? How can we be expected to always do right and be selfless when it is in our nature to be selfish? This man is asking, are we not too weak as humans to overcome sin?

"‘Cause I feel numb beneath your tongue, beneath the [curse] of these lovers’ eyes"

This man feels numb beneath the expectations of God to do good, he has tried and failed and struggles to see the point in trying to be good when he is destined to fail again.

"‘Cause there’s no drink or drug I’ve tried to rend the curse of these lovers’ eyes"

He has found that is no physical cure to overcome our nature as humans to be selfish and sinful.

"But do not ask the [price] I paid I must live with my quiet rage"

He is saying: don't ask me how many times I've tried and failed, too many to count... He now has to live with the frustrating memory of his failures.

"Tame the ghosts in my head that run wild and wish me dead"

The 'ghosts in my head' is a metaophor the selfish, sinful nature of man which plagues him, like it plagues us all.

"Should you shake my ash to the wind Lord, forget all of my sins"

'...shake my ash to the wind' becomes a metaphor for his potential death as a Godly man. He is saying: if I make it through this life and repent my sin, please, Lord, forgive me for what I have done wrong..

"[Or] let me die where I lie beneath the curse of my lovers’ eyes"

In this lyric he is saying: if I don't make it to the end as good as I could have, or I give up now, just let me die here now, don't let it continue.

"[I'll] walk slow, [I'll] walk slow take my hand, help me on my way"

This lyric turns the song around, much like it does musically. This is the man saying to God: I will try again, please help me, I won't be perfect but please help me on my way...

If you have read to the end of this, Thank You! I hope there are others out there that agree with me! I have listened to this song many times and I really believe this is the meaning of the song. Of course, other interpretations are valid but I find songs (by quality artists like Mumford and Sons) are very rarely just about personal relationships, it's usually the first layer to something much deeper.

I think this song is about liking someone in his teens, or early twenties, he liked them so much, there eyes were embedded within him, but nothing ever happened. the 'crush' moved on, forgot about him, went with someone else he says he 'walks slow' this could signify that he waited for her, but she left, she didn't come. As he has tried to forget her, he just can't he will forever remember her and she haunts him, as he cannot move on, nothing will add up to her. it shows at the start of the song how bright eyed and bushy tailed he used to be about her, how he wanted her and liked her, they had a connection, but as he goes on he starts to mention 'curse' like she was his siren. His nymph.

I don't even know, but i would like to think this was it, as I've been through the curse

I would say, "Laura Marling, stop breaking boys' hearts," but good music keeps coming out of it.

"Lover's Eyes" brought a tear to my eye when I first heard it. One of the few songs I think I can truly relate to (besides drinking/drugs).

This is what I've believed this song to mean (in a nutshell):

This is about a man who is very passive-aggressive (got this from the "quiet rage"). He recently had his heart broken, and is trying to cope with the pain. He tries drinking and drugs to help, but nothing seems to work. He can't get over the pain. He wants help, waiting for it to arrive.

Please give this song more "meanings", if you have any that I missed.

I think this song is about a man who has been in a relationship since he was young. In the beginning it was kind, but after a time it got too deep, and perhaps dark. "I can't see other in my life" makes it seem like the relationship was a lot to handle. It seems like he is breaking a way from a relationship, and he knows he is going to break her heart, "Should you shake my ash to the wind, Lord forget all of my sins Well let me die where I lie 'Neath the curse of my lover's eyes" sort of sounds like he knows he is going to commit sin, but he has to do it to feel again.

"Your strength just makes me feel less strong" is probably my favourite line in the song, because in the past I've had men say that to me. Sort of makes me think.

That's sort of my take on things.

To me this song is about Wuthering Heights. Heathcliffe and Catherine were too young and had heads too strong. After her death, he pays a heavy price by walking the world in torment and tormenting others. In particular, he is tormented by the eyes of Cathy (Catherine's daughter by another man). He also thinks he sees or hears Catherine's ghost at times. Toward the end of the novel, he seems to seek redemption, but it really seems he wants God to FORGET his sins, not FORGIVE them. Most of the time, people are asking for God's forgiveness, not for Him to forget.

imo, i think it's about young love. ("were we too young? and heads too strong? to bear the weight of these lover's eyes.") the couple fell in love at a young age, probably early teenage years, and at that point in life they weren't ready for the commitment and trust of a relationship. they were too young, weren't sure of who they were just yet, still figuring things out, but they fell in love. i think the boy cheated on her, and now he's feeling remorse but understands they were too young for things to get so serious. that's just what i think (: this song is gorgeous, regardless. i love mumford and sons.

I think this song about marriage. He fell in love with a girl. They got married. People warned them that it would be hard but nobody understands this until after. Theoretical knowledge is nothing compared to actual experience. There has been a rupture in paradise and he is acknowledging it. He is haunted by the memory of the beautiful past. It makes him angry and at first he wants to run. Hope is gone and her eyes which once kindled his passion now stoke the fire of doubt and uncertainty. He thinks he is alone in these thoughts and feelings. Her certainty makes him feel even worse. “Your strength just makes me feel less strong.” He wonders what this means. He does some deep self-reflection and prayer “Lord forget all of my sins. well let me die where I lie. He just wants to quit. However hope is rekindled. Calm down. Walk slow. Take my hand. Help me on my way. Overwhelming desire and/or overwhelming loss can be an invitation to something greater. Ask anyone who is in a great marriage and has been for many years. The newness of marriage wears off. When it does it seems like the worst death imaginable but if you slow down, walk slow, and take God’s hand your marriage will grow into something greater than you could have imagined. You have to accept and live with your quiet rage. Tame the ghost in your head that seem like they are going to kill you. The curse of your lover’s eyes is a calling to something even greater than the immature love he once felt.

This screams Laura Marling break-up song to me...I think the person is struggling with cheating, and the consequences that came with it between them and the other person and them and god. Laura Marling and Marcus Mumford apparently broke up because someone cheated. Not sure how true that is! But the song seems to be about something along those lines

Sorry this is not really a meaning of any kind but i just need this song. my dad just cheated on my mom after being with her for almost 30 years and everything in this song seems to fit. My mother is so strong and is willing to forgive him and that is crushing my father. He wants her to make him leave but she says that is his choice if he is going to stay or not. "Love was kind for a time". this is something my family never thought would happen and my father says that he is in love with this other woman but he is so confused and he hates himself for what he's done to our family. I just listen to this song because at the end there is hope and that's what i so desperately need right now.