The A Team
FAMILY ROOM - Ed Sheeran Lyrics


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White lips, pale face
Breathing in the snowflakes
Burnt lungs, sour taste
Light's gone, days end
Struggling to pay rent
Long nights, strange men

And they say
She's in the Class A Team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since 18
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 wanna 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
Angels to fly

Ripped gloves, raincoat
Tried to swim, 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 18
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 wanna go outside tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the motherland
Sells love to another man
It's too cold outside
For angels to fly

An angel will die
Covered in white
Closed eyes and hopin' 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 18
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 all under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
And we don't wanna 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
Fly, fly
For angels to fly, to fly, to fly
Angels to die

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ed Sheeran's "The A Team" paint a vivid and poignant picture of the struggles and hardships faced by a young woman involved in a cycle of drug addiction and prostitution. The opening lines set the scene with vivid imagery - "White lips, pale face, Breathing in the snowflakes." These lines suggest a sense of coldness and exhaustion, with burnt lungs and a sour taste indicating the toll taken on her health.


The repeated references to the "Class A Team" allude to the woman's involvement with Class A drugs, highlighting her spiral into addiction that began at a young age. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and decay, with the imagery of her face slowly sinking and crumbling like pastries symbolizing her physical and emotional decline. The mention of "long nights, strange men" reinforces the darker aspects of her existence, showing how her circumstances have trapped her in a cycle of exploitation and danger.


The chorus emphasizes the bleak reality that "the worst things in life come free to us" when one is caught in such a destructive lifestyle. The reference to being "under the upper hand" conveys a sense of powerlessness and being at the mercy of circumstances beyond her control. The lyrics also touch upon the numbing effect of drugs, as the woman turns to substances to escape her harsh reality, "And go mad for a couple grams."


The song's poignant conclusion paints a tragic picture of the woman's fate, with the mention of an angel dying covered in white and hoping for a better life. The repeated refrain about it being too cold outside for angels to fly reinforces the idea of being trapped in a harsh and unforgiving world. Ultimately, "The A Team" serves as a haunting portrayal of the harsh realities faced by those caught in the grips of addiction, poverty, and exploitation, offering a glimpse into the darker corners of society.


Line by Line Meaning

White lips, pale face
A description of someone who is unwell and possibly struggling with substance abuse or addiction.


Breathing in the snowflakes
Facing the harsh reality and difficulties of life.


Burnt lungs, sour taste
Suffering from the consequences of their actions or lifestyle.


Light's gone, days end
Feeling lost, hopeless, and the end of a difficult day.


Struggling to pay rent
Facing financial hardship and struggling to make ends meet.


Long nights, strange men
Experiencing loneliness and possibly engaging in risky behavior.


And they say She's in the Class A Team
Others view her as part of a group of people who are involved in drug use or dangerous activities.


Stuck in her daydream
Escaping from reality and lifetime struggles through daydreaming.


Been this way since 18
Experiencing hardship and challenges since a young age.


But lately, her face seems
Her appearance indicates that she is deteriorating physically and emotionally.


Slowly sinking, wasting
Gradually declining and wasting away.


Crumbling like pastries
Falling apart like a fragile pastry.


And they scream The worst things in life come free to us
Reflecting on how some of the most damaging and painful experiences in life are readily available.


'Cause we're just under the upper hand
Being in a difficult or disadvantageous position.


And go mad for a couple grams
Becoming obsessed with getting a small amount of a substance, like drugs.


And she don't wanna go outside tonight
Preferring to stay indoors and avoid facing the harsh realities of the world.


And in a pipe she flies to the motherland
Using drugs as a means of escape and comfort.


Or sells love to another man
Potentially engaging in dangerous or risky behavior to survive.


It's too cold outside
The world is harsh and unforgiving.


For angels to fly
For those who are pure, kind, and good-hearted to thrive.


Ripped gloves, raincoat
Items associated with being exposed and weathered by life's challenges.


Tried to swim, stay afloat
Attempting to survive and keep one's head above water.


Dry house, wet clothes
Feeling out of place and uncomfortable in one's own environment.


Loose change, bank notes
Experiencing financial instability and uncertainty.


Weary-eyed, dry throat
Feeling tired, drained, and possibly dehydrated.


Call girl, no phone
A reference to a person who may be involved in dangerous or illicit activities, but lacks the means to communicate.


An angel will die
A pure and innocent person may perish.


Covered in white
A symbol of purity and innocence.


Closed eyes and hopin' for a better life
Seeking solace and a brighter future through closure.


This time, we'll fade out tonight
Acknowledging the inevitability of fading away or succumbing to life's challenges.


And we're all under the upper hand
Facing the same struggles and hardships.


And we don't wanna go outside tonight
Preferring to avoid facing the harsh realities of the world.


And in the pipe, fly to the motherland
Using drugs as an escape and coping mechanism.


Or sell love to another man
Engaging in potentially harmful or risky behavior to survive.


Fly, fly For angels to fly, to fly, to fly Angels to die
A plea for angels (pure and kind-hearted individuals) to survive and thrive in a harsh world.




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@ulisesmorales5737

White lips, pale face
Breathing in snowflakes
Burnt lungs, sour tasteLights gone, days end
Struggling to pay rent
Long nights, strange menAnd 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 pastriesAnd 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 flyRipped gloves, raincoat
Tried to swim and stay afloat
Dry house, wet clothesLoose change, bank notes
Weary-eyed, dry throat
Call girl, no phoneAnd 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 pastriesAnd 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 lineAnd 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 pastriesThey 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



@esthersluijter2397

White lips, pale face
Breathing in snowflakes 
Burned lungs, sour taste 
Lights's gone, day's end 
Struggling to pay rent
Long nights, strange men

And they say 
She's in the class A team 
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since 18
But lately her face seems 
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries

And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us 
Cos were just under the upper hand 
And go mad for a couple of 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
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 18
But lately her face seems 
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries

And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us 
Cos were just under the upper hand 
And go mad for a couple of 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

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 18
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 all under the upperhand 
Go mad for a couple of grams 
And we don't want to go outside tonight
And in a pipe we 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
Angels to fly 
To fly, to fly 
Or angels to die



All comments from YouTube:

@songkick

Who else is loving Ed's 'Afterglow' song?? https://EdSheeran.lnk.to/Afterglow

@exoexo-l1945

I'm so happy that he's back ♡

@kanapkitozo3169

not me xd

@sara-antoniabogdan939

Me!!!

@sara-rf8gi

Me

@unlistedandtwisted

Nope... when I cover this song, I imitate this version...

16 More Replies...

@rodolfovillareal715

How can this guy write a song about drug abuse and make it so damn beautiful?

@xgfbcheekyboy53

IKR!!!!

@muffinespixels

Like a rolling stone by Bob Dylan!

@seaside9791

+eammon wright Don't know if it is your style or not but Black Balloon from Goo Goo Dolls is another one. The song is about a man desperately trying to save someone he loves, who's addicted to heroin, it's so sad but wonderful.

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