Ophelia, Cleopatra, Donna, Angela, Gloria, Elouise, Darlene—seven fictional and nonfictional women whom The Lumineers portray narratives through. Each claiming the title of a song on varying albums, the characters bring unique experiences inspired by real individuals that the band’s members have known.
In February 2024, The Lumineers released an EP titled The Leading Ladies: a seven-track album compiling every past song named after a woman. Shining light on (primarily) unconnected stories, The Leading Ladies pays homage to some of The Lumineers’s most famous songs:
Track 1: “Ophelia” — The first single of their second album, “Ophelia” topped the charts after its release in 2016. The song illustrates “falling in love with fame,” according to Wesley Schutlz, frontman for the band. Singing powerful lyrics such as “I can’t feel no remorse, and you don’t feel nothing back,” The Lumineers pair poetry with a beautiful piano backing. The track’s heartbreaking refrain lingers in listeners’ minds: “Heaven help a fool who falls in love.”
Sources have informed me that “Ophelia” alludes to what one local AP Literature teacher deems “the best story ever written.” While I am only fourteen pages into Hamlet at the time of writing this article (February 29), I expect to understand the reference soon, as well as wholeheartedly attest to Andy Evans’s love of the Shakespearean play.
Track 2: “Cleopatra” — Cleopatra claims not only a song title, but also an album name. Inspired by a female taxi driver whom Schultz met in the Republic of Georgia, “Cleopatra” is narrated from the perspective of the woman herself. After losing the love of her life when she rejects his marriage proposal, Cleopatra examines her past and future, claiming, “I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life.”
Track 3: “Donna” — Both “Donna” and “Gloria” originate in The Lumineers’s 2019 album, III. Although the Sparks family name is fiction, the concept stems from a relative of Schultz. Donna, mother of Gloria, experiences extensive hardship throughout her life, affecting her ability to properly care for and nurture her daughter. Growing up with absent parents led Donna to neglect her own children. Schultz sings a philosophical message about love to Donna: “If you don’t have it, then you’ll never give it.” Discussing cycles of poor parenting, “Donna,” as well as the III album itself, narrate a tragic tale of multigenerational trauma and addiction.
Track 4: “Angela” — Named after Schultz’s ex-girlfriend, “Angela” tells the story of a young woman whose hometown offers the opposite of comfort. Thus, she “spent [her] whole life running away.” Seeking her true “home at last,” Angela, finds the singer.
Track 5: “Gloria” — Connected to “Donna,” the song, “Gloria,” sings to the troubled mother’s suffering daughter. Gloria struggles with alcoholism, about which the singer expresses immense worry: “Gloria, I smell it on your breath,” Schultz laments, “no one said enough is enough.” The lead singer created Gloria’s character based off of a relative of his own.
Track 6: “Elouise” — A Deluxe Edition song from The Lumineers’s debut album, The Lumineers, “Elouise” encapsulates the heartbreak of a lover leaving. Repeatedly, Schultz begs Elouise to return to him: “Elouise, why’d you leave?” he desperately asks, “Please, confess, confess to me.” In an anguished tone of voice, which The Lumineers have expertly employed time and time again, the singer concludes the song hoping to “waltz” with Elouise again.
Track 7: Darlene — Another track from The Lumineers (Deluxe Edition), “Darlene” depicts a simple, yet agonizing circumstance. The narrator proposes to Darlene, but is met with rejection; he mourns, “You gave me a sting, with your crazy plan.” Showcasing raw vocals which remind me of the talented 1990s musician, Jeff Buckley, Schultz delivers a powerful conclusion to the seven Leading Ladies.