‘Here’ by Mumford & Sons and Chris Stapleton - Lyrics & Meaning

After stripping it all back for 2025's RUSHMERE - their first album in seven years - Mumford & Sons have kept the momentum going with Prizefighter in February 2026.

A beautifully intricate and polished record, Prizefighter finds the British folk pioneers recruiting a few more famous faces to help add to the already-dazzling lustre of the record.

One of the more surprising additions to the Prizefighter tracklist was undoubtedly country titan, Chris Stapleton, who guests on the introspective, humbling opener, ‘Here’.

Stapleton's appearance at the top of the album makes it clear that Prizefighter will blur the lines between genres, with Mumford & Sons also flexing their songwriting muscles and showcasing their versatility with blockbuster collaborations with Gracie Abrams (‘Badlands’), Gigi Perez (‘Icarus’) and Hozier (‘Rubber Band Man’).

‘Here’ captures the same pared-down yet enchanting magic of the haunting lead single, ‘Rubber Band Man’. Every single instrument and harmony sounds crystal clear, with no unnecessary gimmicks or overbearing production. ‘Here’ starts with a simple, undulating guitar riff combined with Marcus Mumford's compelling vocals.

The composition quickly builds out as they approach the rousing hook, where we get those trademark Mumford harmonies, before Stapleton's unmistakable drawl enters the fray for the second verse. There's a wonderful warmth and rasp underpinning the Kentucky maverick's delivery, with Mumford joining for Stapleton's hook. We then get a spellbinding electric guitar solo from co-producer, Aaron Dessner.

“Well here’s my final serenade

Here’s a gun and here’s a blade

Here’s a picture that I saved

For too long”

It's a fascinating choice to open the album with ‘Here’, because in many ways, it sounds like a goodbye letter. We meet a protagonist who has reached the end of a colourful journey, with the narrator opening up about all his mistakes and embarrassments, all his triumphs and joys and all his shame and loss through the evocative verses.

“Here’s my credit card and keys

And the reason I won’t find peace

Here’s a song I should not complete

For too long”

Although the exact source of our protagonist's despair is unclear, it appears to revolve around a heartbreak, as he admits he's been keeping a photograph - presumably of an ex - for too long. He goes on to list very practical but seemingly insignificant items he's accumulated, such as credit cards and car keys, alongside more emotionally charged experiences, such as writing a song about the heartbreak.

“Here’s my pride and here’s my shame

Here’s a trophy that bears my name

Here’s all the mistakes I made

For too long”

There's an undercurrent of acceptance running through ‘Here’, despite all the disappointments and missed chances he mentions. It comes across more like a narrator sitting down at the end of his life to reflect on all the memorable moments from over the years, viewing all the glories and failures as part of one big, beautiful tapestry.

“Well here’s my final serenade

Here’s a gun and here’s a blade

Here’s a picture that I saved

For too long

-

Here’s my credit card and keys

And the reason I won’t find peace

Here’s a song I should not complete

For too long

-

Here’s my pride and here’s my shame

Here’s a trophy that bears my name

Here’s all the mistakes I made

For too long

-

Here’s the answers I never gave

Here’s the calls I shoulda made

Here’s a substance that I crave

All along

-

Well here’s my vision here’s my aim

Here’s my address and the ones I blame

While you’re sitting taking names

I just want to belong

-

Here’s my lonely serenade

Here’s a gun and here’s a blade

Here’s a picture that I saved

Before you were gone

-

Can you hold all my secrets

Can we swear that we can forget

I had lies like you wouldn’t believe

Brought to my knees”

For more on Mumford & Sons, see below:

Chris Stapleton

Artist

Mumford & Sons

Artist