Tompkins Square Park (song)

Last updated
"Tompkins Square Park"
Mumford and Sons - Tompkins Square Park cover art.jpg
Single by Mumford & Sons
from the album Wilder Mind
Released2 November 2015 (2015-11-02)
Recorded2014–2015
Studio AIR Studios (London)
Genre
Length
  • 5:11(album version)
  • 4:24(single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) James Ford
Mumford & Sons singles chronology
"Ditmas"
(2015)
"Tompkins Square Park"
(2015)
"Just Smoke"
(2016)

"Tompkins Square Park" is a song by English rock band Mumford & Sons. It was released as the fourth single from their third studio album, Wilder Mind , on 2 November 2015, and also serves as the opening track for the album. The song peaked at number 86 on the UK Singles Chart.

Contents

Composition

"Tompkins Square Park" is an indie rock and post-punk song, [1] recorded at AIR Studios in London. [2] The title of the song refers to the East Village, Manhattan park of the same name. The song is centered around a deteriorating relationship. In the first line, the narrator of the song, who is one half of the relationship, requests their partner to meet them in Tompkins Square Park for a chance of rebuilding said relationship. [3]

Video

No official music video for the song has been made, however, a video of a live version of the song has since been uploaded to the band's Vevo and YouTube channels on 3 May 2015. [4]

Critical reception

Sputnikmusic labelled "Tompkins Square Park" as a "massive highlight," [5] while Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone called the song Wilder Mind 's "sharpest moment," commenting "the sentiment is Springsteen, the guitars are straight-up Strokes, and even if it's not going to work out for the relationship in this song, the music itself bristles with self-assurance." [3] James Rainis of Slant was more critical of the song, stating that it "stacks clichés in unexciting ways: 'But no flame burns forever/You and I both know this [all] too well.'" [1]

Track listing

Digital download [6]
No.TitleLength
1."Tompkins Square Park"4:24

Charts

Chart (2015–16)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [7] 3
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [8] 14
UK Singles (OCC) [9] 86
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [10] 16

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [11] Silver200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormatRef.
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe 2 November 2015
Digital download [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 Rainis, James (4 May 2015). "Mumford & Sons: Wilder Mind". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  2. Wilder Mind (album liner notes). Mumford & Sons. Gentlemen of the Road / Island Records / Glassnote Records. 2015.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. 1 2 Dolan, Jon (5 May 2015). "Mumford & Sons Wilder Mind Album Review". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  4. "Mumford & Sons – Tompkins Square Park (Live)". YouTube. 3 May 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  5. "Review: Mumford and Sons – Wilder Mind". Sputnikmusic. 5 May 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Mumford & Sons – Tompkins Square Park (File)". Discogs . Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  7. "Mumford & Sons – Tompkins Square Park" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  8. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 20, 2015" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  10. "Mumford & Sons Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  11. "British single certifications – Mumford & Sons – Tompkins Square Park". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 2 May 2020.