Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran MBE (born 17 February 1991) is a singer son… Read Full Bio ↴Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran MBE (born 17 February 1991) is a singer songwriter currently signed under Atlantic (WMG). Ed Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire before moving to Framlingham, Suffolk. In his time in Suffolk, he was known to have flourished as a hidden talent when it came to music. He learned guitar at a very young age, and began writing songs during his time at Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham. By the time Sheeran had left school, he was already certain that music was going to play a major part in his life, and therefore studied at Access To Music in Norwich before moving to London which improved his chances of getting gigs.

Sheeran began recording in 2005, which lead to the release of his first EP, The Orange Room EP. Sheeran also released two albums, a self titled one in 2006 and Want Some? in 2007 gaining little attention. After Sheeran moved to London and had done extensive gigging, performing songs from his EP and albums, as well as ones which he had recently written, he decided to release another EP, You Need Me in late 2009. However, it wasn't until February 2010 that Sheeran began to get noticed after he posted a video through SB.tv displaying his diverse style. This video led to mainstream rapper Example asking Sheeran to tour with him. Throughout 2010, Sheeran began to be seen by more and more people over the internet through [app] YouTube and his fan-base grew incredibly, with him also getting credit from The Independent newspaper, England football captain Rio Ferdinand and even Elton John. Sheeran released three EP's in 2010, Loose Change, which features one of his most known songs, "The A Team", Songs I Wrote With Amy, and Ed Sheeran: Live at the Bedford, a live EP recorded in October. During the year, Sheeran also went to the US, where he was discovered by international superstar Jamie Foxx, who asked Sheeran to perform on his radio show, which gained him some fans in the US. By the end of the year, Sheeran was seen to be one of the best unsigned artists in the country.
On 9 January 2011, Sheeran released his final independent EP, No.5 Collaborations Project featuring appearances by grime artists including Wiley, JME, Devlin and Ghetts. With this EP, Sheeran gained mainstream attention for reaching number 2 in the iTunes chart, without any promotion or label. He was listed as a 'special guest' on Devlin's 2011 'Bud, Sweat and Beers' mini tour alongside Griminal and Tinchy Stryder. Songfacts reports that after signing for Atlantic Records in January 2011 "The A Team" was released as the first single from his debut album on June 12, 2011.

Sheeran's debut album + containing the singles The A Team and Lego House is certified 6x Platinum in the UK. The album has also won Sheeran two Brit Awards for British Breakthrough Act and Best British Male Solo Artist. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards Sheeran gained a nomination for Best New Artist.

He received further fame for contributing the track entitled "I See Fire" to Howard Shore's soundtrack to the movie "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" in 2013.

x the second studio album by Sheeran was released in 2015. The album went straight to number one in both the UK and the US. x has had five singles thus far Sing, Don't, Thinking Out Loud, Bloodstream and Photograph.

Sheeran recently was awarded with an Honorary Doctorate by the University Campus Suffolk (UCS). The ceremony is later this year.

Discography:.

Albums:

2011 - +
2014 - x
2017 - ÷
2021 - =
2023- -
EPs:

2005 - The Orange Room
2006 - Ed Sheeran
2007 - Want Some?
2009 - You Need Me
2010 - Loose Change
2010 - Songs I Wrote With Amy
2010 - Live At The Bedford
2011 - No 5 Collaborations Project
2011 - One Take
2011 - iTunes Festival: London 2011
2011 - Thank You
2012 - The Slumdon Bridge
2012 - iTunes Festival: London 2012

Singles:

2011 - The A Team
2011 - You Need Me, I Don't Need You
2011 - Lego House
2012 - Drunk
2012 - Small Bump
2012 - Give Me Love
2013 - I See Fire
2014 - Sing
2014 - Don't
2014 - Thinking Out Loud
2015 - Bloodstream
2015 - Photograph
2017 - Shape of you
2017 - Castle on the Hill
2017 - Galway Girl

Shirtsleeves
Ed Sheeran Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can taste salt water
And if I blink again
You'll be sinking in
So we'll learn to swim in the oceans you made
I'll hold ya and you'll think of him
And pretty soon you'll be floating away

And I'll hold on to the words you spoke of

Anchored down in the throat, love
And I'm captain of this sinking boat now
With just one armband to carry me home

When salted tears won't dry
I'll wipe my shirtsleeves
Under your eyes
These hearts will be flooded tonight
I'll wipe my shirtsleeves
Under your eyes
Your eyes, your eyes, your eyes, your eyes, your eyes

I still taste salt water
On my lips from your kiss, bitterness
And I'll drown within the oceans you made
And I hate to love you, these cuffs are covered in your make up
I'll never trust you again
You can just be a friend

And I'll hold on to the words you spoke of
Anchored down in the throat, love
And I'm captain of this sinking boat now
With just one armband to carry me home

When salted tears won't dry
I'll wipe my shirtsleeves
Under your eyes
These hearts will be flooded tonight
I'll wipe my shirtsleeves
Under your eyes

Your eyes, your lips, your mouth
Your thighs, your back, you drive me wild
Tonight, the fact is I
I'm on my way home
I'm on my way home
I lied, I tried to cry but I'm, I'm drowning in the oceans you made

When salted tears won't dry
I'll wipe my shirtsleeves
Under your eyes
These hearts will be flooded tonight
I'll wipe my shirtsleeves

Under your eyes
Your eyes, your eyes, your eyes, your eyes, your eyes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ed Sheeran's song "Shirtsleeves" depict a tumultuous relationship with the ocean serving as a metaphor for the ebbs and flows of love. Sheeran sings about tasting saltwater, which is a reference to the pain that his partner has caused him. He describes the feeling of sinking and drowning in the sea of emotions that she stirred up. However, instead of giving up, they will "learn to swim in the oceans" and try to salvage what's left. The chorus lyric "When salted tears won't dry, I'll wipe my shirtsleeves under your eyes" indicates that he will be there to comfort her despite her actions.

The second verse continues with Sheeran's realisation that the relationship cannot continue as before. He acknowledges the bitterness of the kiss and even though he's still holding on to her words, he can't trust her again. It's a painful realization, but he's prepared to move on and just be friends with her. The final section looks back on their time together and acknowledges the attraction he holds towards her, yet he has to be honest with himself that he's "drowning in the oceans she made". Through all of the struggles, he will still wipe his shirtsleeves under her eyes in an attempt to comfort her.

Overall, "Shirtsleeves" is a relatable song about the ups and downs of love. The metaphor of the ocean makes it feel like a universal experience that many people can relate to.

Line by Line Meaning

I can taste salt water
I can still taste the memory of the salty water from our past, reminding me of the pain we once shared.

And if I blink again
If I get lost in my thoughts again, I might miss the chance to pull you up before you sink again.

You'll be sinking in
You're struggling to stay afloat in the ocean of our relationship, and I fear that you might drown.

So we'll learn to swim in the oceans you made
We'll learn to navigate through the troubled waters of our relationship, built on the turmoil and pain you've caused.

I'll hold ya and you'll think of him
I'll comfort you even though you'll think of the one who hurt you, and I'll be silently wishing that you'll feel the same way about me.

And pretty soon you'll be floating away
Despite my efforts to save you, you'll give in to the waves of confusion and drift away from me.

And I'll hold on to the words you spoke of
I'll cherish the things you've said to me, even though they're tied to your painful past.

Anchored down in the throat, love
Those words are still close to my heart but are hard to express, similar to a heavy object that is stuck in my throat.

And I'm captain of this sinking boat now
Our relationship is like a boat that's rapidly sinking, and I'm trying my best to take control of it.

With just one armband to carry me home
I have only one way of wearing my heart, and that's to carry the emotional burden of our relationship with me as I leave.

When salted tears won't dry
When the sorrow and pain seems to keep coming back, without an end in sight.

I'll wipe my shirtsleeves under your eyes
I'll be there to help you wipe your tears away, even if it breaks me inside that I cannot fully care for you as I would like to.

These hearts will be flooded tonight
Our hearts will be overwhelmed with emotions, and we might not be able to hold back the tide of our feelings.

Your eyes, your lips, your mouth
Your entire being and essence is what captured my heart and enticed me at first.

Your thighs, your back, you drive me wild
Every inch of your body gives me the same desire and passion, but it still does not compare to what lies in your heart.

Tonight, the fact is I
Despite the challenges we face, the reality is that my heart beats for you.

I'm on my way home
No matter the distances that part us, I'm on my way home, to the place where my heart belongs.

I lied, I tried to cry but I'm, I'm drowning in the oceans you made
I wasn't honest with myself about how I truly felt, I tried hard to let go of the pain, but it seems like every time I try, I get sucked in deeper in the destructive waves of our relationship.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ed Sheeran

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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