The A Team
Ed Sheeran/Musicfire.in Lyrics
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Breathing in snowflakes
Burnt lungs, sour taste
Lights gone, days end
Struggling to pay rent
Long nights, strange men
She's in the class A team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since eighteen
But lately her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us
'Cause we're just under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
And she don't want to go outside, tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the motherland
Or sells love to another man
It's too cold outside
For angels to fly, for angels to fly
Ripped gloves, raincoat
Tried to swim and stay afloat
Dry house, wet clothes
Loose change, bank notes
Weary-eyed, dry throat
Call girl, no phone
And they say
She's in the class A team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since eighteen
But lately her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us
'Cause we're just under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
But she don't want to go outside, tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the motherland
Or sells love to another man
Its too cold outside
For angels to fly
An angel will die
Covered in white
Closed eye
And hoping for a better life
This time, we'll fade out tonight
Straight down the line
And they say
She's in the class A team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since eighteen
But lately her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
They scream
The worst things in life come free to us
And we're under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
And we don't want to go outside, tonight
And in the pipe fly to the motherland
Or sell love to another man
It's too cold outside
For angels to fly, angels to fly
To fly, fly
For angels to fly, to fly, to fly
Angels to die
"The A Team" by Ed Sheeran is a sobering song about the harsh realities of addiction and homelessness. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a young woman, stuck in her daydreams, slowly wasting away while being caught up in a cycle of drug addiction and prostitution. She is referred to as being part of the "class A team," which is a reference to the class A drugs, such as heroin, that she is addicted to. The line "too cold outside for angels to fly" is a poignant reference to the societal neglect of those that are homeless and struggling with addiction.
Throughout the song, there is a constant contrast between the bleak realities of the character's situation and the dreamlike nature of the song itself. The lyrics describe "white lips, pale face" and "crumbling like pastries" while the melody remains ethereal and haunting. The use of these contrasting elements emphasizes the tragedy of her situation and provides a heightened emotional response from the listener.
Ed Sheeran uses vivid word pictures and emotional appeal to draw attention to the plight of those who are caught in the cycle of addiction and homelessness, and to encourage empathy and compassion for them. It's a poignant song that forces a deeper reflection upon society's role in the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
White lips, pale face
Breathing in snowflakes
Burnt lungs, sour taste
A person is very cold and inhaling cold air while coughing due to smoking or some other kind of vice
Lights gone, days end
Struggling to pay rent
Long nights, strange men
Someone is working really hard but not earning enough to pay their rent, so they have to work long hours and sometimes encounter dangerous people
And they say
She's in the class A team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since eighteen
But lately her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
The singer is talking about a girl who is in a drug addiction and has been wasting away since she was eighteen years old
And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us
'Cause we're just under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
And she don't want to go outside, tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the motherland
Or sells love to another man
It's too cold outside
For angels to fly, for angels to fly
They are saying that the worst things in life are free and easy to obtain, like drugs. People who are poor or struggling are more likely to fall into these vices as a way to cope with their problems. For the girl in the song, drugs are an escape and it's too cold outside for her to do anything else.
Ripped gloves, raincoat
Tried to swim and stay afloat
Dry house, wet clothes
The artist is struggling to make ends meet and take care of themselves in a difficult situation. They are trying to hold on but everything is falling apart around them
Loose change, bank notes
Weary-eyed, dry throat
Call girl, no phone
The singer is broke and struggling to make a living. They may have to resort to unsavory means to make ends meet, and they are also tired and dehydrated
An angel will die
Covered in white
Closed eye
And hoping for a better life
This time, we'll fade out tonight
Straight down the line
The angel referred to earlier in the song has died, symbolizing the tragic consequences of drug addiction. The singer is almost resigned to their fate and expects to follow the same path to their own demise.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ED SHEERAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind