Mumford & Sons’ Marcus Mumford has released a piano version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” — the Rodgers & Hammerstein showtune-turned-British anthem — to raise money for a pair of organizations helping vulnerable people amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Here’s a song for you, because it feels like the right time to get it out,” Mumford said in a statement.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone,” originally from the musical Carousel, was a British hit in 1963 for Gerry & the Pacemakers, and later caught on as the unofficial anthem of the Liverpool football team. In the face of the coronavirus outbreak, the song has become the worldwide rallying cry in support of the medical professionals fighting COVID-19.
“All record royalties and record company profits from this song will go to Grenfell Foundation and Warchild UK,” Mumford added.
“These are uncertain times for so many people, and we get that. We’re trying to pursue a ‘both/and’ approach – to find out how we can support our literal neighbors, whilst also thinking of those further away who need our help more than ever. I work with both organizations, I have been in contact with them throughout the COVID pandemic, they’re doing amazing work supporting vulnerable people, but it’s really hard right now.”
However, Mumford’s rendition predates the crisis. “I recorded this song after a conversation with my dear friend Jason Sudeikis, as I’ve been scoring his unreleased television show, Ted Lasso,” Mumford said of his version. “It may still end up in the show, but we’ve had it up our sleeve for a couple of months. For lots of reasons we wanted it just to be out in the world sooner rather than later, so here it is, with love.”
Mumford also performed his rendition live via social media:
Here’s a song for you, because it feels like the right time to get it out. All proceeds from this song will go to Grenfell Foundation and War Child UK.
Listen: https://t.co/wwREEe1WHk
Donate: https://t.co/KpSpN1OHqY pic.twitter.com/3W3Dw466zS— Mumford & Sons (@MumfordAndSons) March 20, 2020
