Badlands Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Remember they said I was born wild?
I think I live on the outside
Never been fixed with a slow high yet
I'm always walking a thin line
Running away from a low tide
I know I'm better a high wire kid
[Refrain]
Don't look down now
I'm not done here yet
Don't look down now
I'm not done here yet
Mm-um-hm, hm
[Verse 2]
Remember the wind on the badlands?
When I'm still running from loose hands
Set myself up to become a man
Who wasn't there for the backhand?
Getaway car in the quicksand
I think you may never understand
[Refrain]
Don't look down now
I'm not done here yet
Don't look down now
I'm not done here yet
[Chorus]
Running away from a fine line
Run with me, we can still make it high
Give me a vision, give me a dime
Running away from a tame life
Running away like a wild child
Give me a vision, give me a dime (And give me more, oh)
Running away from a fine line
Run with me, we can still make it high
Give me a vision, give me a dime (And give me more, oh)
Running away from a tame life
Running away like a wild child
Give me a vision, give me a dime
[Refrain]
Don't look down now
I'm not done here yet
Don't look down now
I'm not done here yet
[Outro]
Remember they said I was born wild?
I think I live on the outside
Never been fixed with a slow high yet
I'm always walking a thin line
Running away from a low tide
I know I'm better a high wire kid
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Badlands Song Meaning [Mumford & Sons]
“Badlands” is a 2026 pop collaboration between Mumford & Sons and Gracie Abrams, released on the album "Prizefighter". Crafted by Marcus Mumford alongside key indie figures and produced with Aaron Dessner, the track marks a stylistic shift toward atmospheric pop while preserving the band’s signature introspective storytelling. Its release signaled a new era focused on restlessness, reinvention, and emotional survival.
Song Meaning
The opening passage introduces a narrator shaped by outsider energy — someone labeled reckless from the beginning and now unable to settle into ordinary life. The imagery of edges, thin lines, and high-wire balance suggests a personality forged through instability. Rather than seeking safety, the voice embraces risk as the only place where authenticity exists, hinting at a lifelong tension between chaos and control.
The refrain acts like an internal mantra. The insistence on not looking down evokes the psychology of endurance: forward motion becomes the only way to avoid collapse. It captures the mindset of artists and survivors alike — continuing despite fear because stopping would mean confronting how fragile everything is.
The second verse deepens the backstory, recalling harsh landscapes and formative conflict. References to escape, confrontation, and misunderstood motives imply a past marked by struggle with authority or expectations. The narrator frames growth not as a gentle transition but as a reaction to pressure, shaping a hardened independence. There is also a sense that the journey toward maturity required distancing from people who could not grasp that transformation.
When the chorus arrives, the perspective widens from solitary survival to shared escape. The invitation to run together reframes rebellion as connection rather than isolation. The desire for “vision” symbolizes hope or purpose — something beyond mere survival. Rejecting a “tame life” becomes less about thrill-seeking and more about refusing emotional numbness, suggesting that vitality requires movement, risk, and imagination.
The closing passage mirrors the opening, reinforcing the cyclical nature of identity. The narrator remains untamed, still navigating the same precarious path. Instead of resolution, the ending emphasizes persistence — survival itself becomes the triumph.
Emotional Core and Themes
At its heart, “Badlands” explores the psychology of people who feel permanently on the margins — creative spirits, rebels, or anyone shaped by instability. Themes of defiance, self-definition, and the refusal to be domesticated run throughout. The song frames chaos not as damage but as fuel, portraying resilience as an active, ongoing choice rather than a finished state.
Connection with Listeners
The narrative resonates with listeners who have outgrown expectations placed on them or who feel suspended between past hardship and future possibility. Its emphasis on motion and reinvention speaks to a generation navigating uncertain identities, careers, and relationships. By turning restlessness into a source of strength, the song offers both recognition and quiet encouragement.
Conclusion
“Badlands” stands as a portrait of survival without domestication — a declaration that some lives are defined not by stability but by the courage to keep moving. Through stark imagery and emotional urgency, the collaboration captures the uneasy freedom of those who refuse to settle, transforming personal turbulence into a shared anthem of endurance and self-belief.
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Prizefighter (2026) [Tracklist]
- Here
- Rubber Band Man
- The Banjo Song
- Run Together
- Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels)
- Alleycat
- Prizefighter
- Begin Again
- Icarus
- Stay
- Badlands
- Shadow Of A Man
- I’ll Tell You Everything
- Clover
Song Details
Song Name: Badlands
Artist: Mumford & Sons, Gracie Abrams
Album: Prizefighter (2026)
Lyricist: Marcus Mumford, Aaron Dessner, Justin Vernon, Ben Lovett & Ted Dwane
Producers: Aaron Dessner, Mumford & Sons
Genre: Pop
Language: English
Label: Island Records
Released: February 20, 2026
External Links
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[Disclaimer: Lyrics are for educational and entertainment purposes only. All rights belong to the original owners.]
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