Lover of the Light

In the Middle of the Night 

Lover of the Light by Mumford & Sons

Recommended by A Lover of Both the Light and Shakespeare

"I'll let you explain this one ;)"

I assume the person who recommended this song is referring to the time we went to see Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing at UGA, and they worked Mumford & Sons music into the performance. They neither prefaced the show with a notification, nor did they explain the creative decision in the program.

It was the biggest mystery in my life for the longest time.

I'm glad you suggested it now, though, because it's given me the opportunity to do some research into the topic, and I've got answers.

First of all, and this is something I already knew because I'd seen Much Ado performed before, Shakespeare already wrote songs into the script. Usually it's filled with period-appropriate tunes, sure, but having live music is nothing new for the show.

Mumford & Sons, however, was a surprise.

I found an article by the Online Athens that basically says they thought it would be fun to use modern music, and Mumford & Sons fit the tone of the play, which is a comedy with some serious moments.

On top of that, Mumford & Sons are Shakespeare fans. Or, at least, they reference the guy quite a lot.

Mumford's debut album, "Sigh No More," is from a poem from Much Ado About Nothing itself. The title track of the same name features several other references to the same play:

Serve God, love me, and mend (Act 5, Scene 2) is a direct quote, as is man is a giddy thing (Act 5, Scene 4).

The lyric lived unbruised, we are friends references two lines: live unbruised, and love my cousin and Come, come, we are friends (both from Act 5, Scene 4).

Mumford & Sons: Sigh no more, no more / One foot in sea, one on shore / My heart was never pure
Shakespeare: Sigh no more, ladies / Men were deceivers ever / One foot in sea, and one on shore

Those are all the Much Ado references, but it doesn't stop there.

Mumford & Sons have another song called Roll Away Your Stone that borrows from Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Mumford & Sons: Stars, hide your fires, for these here are my desires.
Shakespeare: Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires (Act 1, Scene 4)

These seem are pretty obvious, depending on how familiar you are with Shakespeare and M&S.

When asked about the references, Mumford said, "You can rip off Shakespeare all you like; no lawyer's going to call you up on that one." 

He's not wrong.

Overview:

Genre:
Folk Rock

Favorite Lyrics:
But I'd be yours if you'd be mine.

Verdict:
Friar John does it best.