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Mumford & Sons – Timshel Lyrics 13 years ago
This is a beautiful song. The gist of this is that nobody can fight your battles for you, but you are not alone in your struggle. As someone else commented, Timshel is the Hebrew word meaning "thou mayest." It means you have a choice, which is discussed in John Steinbeck's work "East of Eden."

These are the lines from the book:

“Don’t you see?” he cried. “The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel–‘Thou mayest’– that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’–it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ Don’t you see?”

The song talks about struggle and triumph.

"And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand"

"But I can't move the mountains for you"

Pretty powerful.

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Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man Lyrics 13 years ago
This song is about someone who possibly has a sort of inferiority complex. This manifests as being plagued by doubt and reflecting this by acting as a victim. Thus, a little lion man is self critical yet plays the role of a victim, blaming everyone else.

"Wasted on fixing all the problems
That you made in your own head"

Energy is spent trying to fix perceived problems that have been created in your own mind.

"Your boldness stands alone among the wreck"

While everyone else is fucking up, you think you're the only one who knows what's going on.

"Now learn from your mother
Or else spend your days biting your own neck"

If you don't get over this complex, you're going to keep fucking yourself over.

and of course the chorus. I believe this is done in a sarcastic tone.

"But it was not your fault but mine
And it was your heart on the line
I really fucked it up this time
Didn't I, my dear?"

I believe this is about someone who is very self critical, reflecting it by blaming everyone else for anything that doesn't go right. So, the chorus is a sarcastic tone, describing how someone so self critical will be quick to point fingers and say things like "You really fucked it up this time."

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Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man Lyrics 13 years ago
I think this interpretation is right, but the lyrics are "rake."

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Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man Lyrics 13 years ago
I think this is exactly right.

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