It came to the end
It seems you had heard
As we walked the city streets
You never said a word

When we finally sat down
Your eyes were full of spite
I was desperate, I was weak
I could not put up a fight

Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Do you ever think of me
In the quiet, in the crowd?

You were strangely less than pained
Then you were cold
Triumphant in your mind
Of the logic that you hold

You said no one would ever know
The love that we had shared
As I took my leave to go
It was clear that you didn't care

Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Do you ever think of me
In the quiet, in the crowd?

Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Do you ever think of me
In the quiet, in the crowd?

And I hear of your coming
And your going in the town
I hear stories of your smile
I hear stories of your frown

And the darkness can descend
We can relish all the pain
But I know that's what you love
'Cause you know I love the same

Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Do you ever think of me
In the quiet, in the crowd?

Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Do you ever think of me
In the quiet, in the crowd?

Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Do you ever think of me
In the quiet, in the crowd?

Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Do you ever think of me
In the quiet, in the crowd?



Lyrics submitted by waywardgirl, edited by JayLovex, BlueHeron2, flipped

Track duration: 03:40


Where Are You Now? song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think this song is about his break-up with Laura Marling after he (apparently) cheated on her, and her subsequently (apparently) using that as inspiration for a lot of the songs on her last album A Creature I Don't Know. I think Where Are You Now is a song from one songwriter to another, the acknowledgement that pain can be turned into art, and perhaps accusing the person it is addressed to of enjoying it in a way because it creates great songs:

    And the darkness can descend
    We can relish all the pain
    But I know that's what you love
    'Cause you know I love the same

    It's a really beautiful song. It feels very intimate and I always almost feel like I'm intruding by listening to it.
    Flag lucia77on January 15, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:when I broke up with my last boyfriend I didn't want to. It was a horrible break up but I just couldn't be in a long distance relationship and I wasn't willing to make the changes to be in the same place he was.

    It came to the end
    It seems you had heard
    As we walked the city streets
    You never said a word

    He knew the break up was coming I had stopped talking to him as much as I usually did. I came to visit him one last time but I couldn't make myself say the words.

    When we finally sat down
    Your eyes were full of spite
    I was desperate, I was weak
    I could not put up a fight

    He started to cry and I got mad honestly. I was annoyed he didn't understand why I was so unhappy. But it was so horrible to see how upset he was so I began to cry too.

    Where are you now?
    Where are you now?
    Do you ever think of me
    In the quiet, in the crowd?

    I think about him everyday, I miss him everyday. He was so silly and so cute and so full of life. So many things remind me of him, I wonder is the same is true for him

    You were strangely less than pained
    Then you were cold
    Triumphant in your mind
    Of the logic that you hold

    When I finally got up the nerve to end it his face was just blank. He was mad at me and assumed there was someone else he couldn't understand my reasoning

    You said no one would ever know
    The love that we had shared
    As I took my leave to go
    It was clear that you didn't care

    Our relationship was rocky to begin with my friends didn't think I should be with him. In fact I broke up with a boy for him and no one understood what I saw in him. No one understood why we loved each other so much it wasn't meant to be but it happened. When I left he turned his back and didn't talk to me for a long time.

    Where are you now?
    Where are you now?
    Do you ever think of me
    In the quiet, in the crowd?

    I always wonder what he's doing and if he misses me

    Where are you now?
    Where are you now?
    Do you ever think of me
    In the quiet, in the crowd?

    And I hear of your coming
    And your going in the town
    I hear stories of your smile
    I hear stories of your frown

    Whenever I talk to my friends from that town I always ask if anyone has heard about him. Whenever they actually have information it makes me sad, I miss him

    And the darkness can descend
    We can relish all the pain
    But I know that's what you love
    'Cause you know I love the same

    when he finally began talking to me again he still loved me, and still missed me but we know that we can't be together. It just wouldn't work

    Where are you now?
    Where are you now?
    Do you ever think of me
    In the quiet, in the crowd?

    Where are you now?
    Where are you now?
    Do you ever think of me
    In the quiet, in the crowd?

    Where are you now?
    Where are you now?
    Do you ever think of me
    In the quiet, in the crowd?

    Where are you now?
    Where are you now?
    Do you ever think of me
    In the quiet, in the crowd?
    Flag caa2320on January 01, 2013   Link
  • +3
    General Comment:You were strangely less than pained
    Then you were cold
    Triumphant in your mind
    Of the logic that you hold

    ... how well expressed, that sinking feeling. That moment in which no matter what you might say to the partner or friend, or the intensity with which you'd express the sentiment, you know full well that you're not likely to be heard.
    Flag Lazulineon December 08, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's just a perfect (more like my dream) desription of my relationship with my friend. We love each other, we know how each other thinks, however we are not together, never will be and after today, we probably won't see each other again
    Flag funneyeson October 30, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I made the mistake of not buying the deluxe edition of Babel and missed out on this song. Heard it at the concert and fell in love with it.
    Probably one of my favourites from the new album!

    I think everyone can relate to that feeling of not having someone in your life anymore and wondering if they ever think about you.
    Flag booyamoonon October 30, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I absolutely love this song. I like that it is about a break up, yet its not bitter. Its more curious about what became of her.
    Flag popper93on October 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This reminds me of when I broke up with my boyfriend. I had made my mind up about ending it and he was beyond baffled. The line "triumphant in your mind of the logic that you hold" in particular speaks to me, makes me feel a little silly as we're back together now. Mumford have always been our band. Their lyrics are so beautiful and so many can relate to their songs. Babel is a great follow up album, really impressed.
    Flag claireelouiseon September 30, 2012   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:I think this track might be about Laura Marling. Marcus toured with her before Mumford and Sons actually formed, and he and Laura dated for a while. They broke up in '10, but apparently are still friends... which might explain why this song isn't particularly downcast like another breakup song -- he's just wondering what she's up to now.

    "And the darkness can descend" could be a reference to a track off of Laura's I Speak Because I Can, too. I just love it when musicians reference their friends' work in their own songs. ((:
    Flag fishcustardon September 21, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think this track might be about Laura Marling. Marcus toured with her before Mumford
    Flag fishcustardon September 21, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:Instead of, "You were strangely less THAN pain/ THAN you were cold," I hear "You were strangely less IN pain / THEN you were cold" implying time order, though I could see the lyrics being a comparison too. Either way, "in pain" seems to make more sense to me than "than pain"
    Flag niki7877on March 25, 2012   Link

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