The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey” is an indie folk song released on June 4, 2012 as the band’s debut album’s lead single. The song was their breakthrough hit, and it gradually rose on the charts, crossing over to various categories on Billboard and reaching global success. “Ho Hey” was written in C major, making use of a McIntosh MC 240 amplifier in the recording. The guitar is the dominant part of the song’s instrumentation, and it sounds uplifting, which is a complete contrast with the lyrics and the context in which the song was written.

Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, who make up The Lumineers, are based in Denver, Colorado, but they initially participated in gigs in New York City, though they failed to meet much success there. Having resided in Brooklyn, Schultz had taken up three jobs in order to cover the rent, and consequently had very little time to actually spend on music, which was the duo’s primary reason for relocating to the city in the first place. Schultz explained that “Ho Hey,” with shouts littered throughout the song, was produced as a response to the disinterested audience during shows in order to capture the people’s attention.

(Ho) I don’t think you’re right for him
(Hey) think of what it might have been if we
(Ho) took a bus to Chinatown
(Hey) I’d be standin’ on Canal (ho) and Bowery (hey)
(Ho) she’d be standin’ next to me (hey)

The lyrics portray the city as an individual, and the prevailing theme of searching for a sense of belonging suggests that the person in the song does not think the city is right for him, despite the desire for the situation to work itself out. However, even though the city is a land of opportunity and may foster creativity, the prospects are bleak for those who do not feel like they belong.

I like this song because it gives off a vibe of sitting around a campfire with friends who sing along and offer random contributions to the song in the form of shouts, which is an ironic notion because New York City seems to be the last place such a thing would happen. The song itself is very energy-inducing and repetitive, but catchy nonetheless, especially since it is shorter than most of the popular songs of this era.