“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
What's the winter's cold negative press
What's the spring with its air of rebirth
To those felled under wildest duress
Trading freedom for a false sense of worth
Let the love of our own sacred rites
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and future unite
And flourish in idea and deed
Let the costume distinguish the strong
Place riches in lowest esteem
It's for excess that people do wrong
And to liberty honesty's lean
Let the love of our own sacred rites
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and future unite
And flourish in idea and deed
Letting one minute go on
Without seeing yourself with an eye
That is watchful and kindly and strong
Is as letting the soul drop and die
Let the love of our own sacred rites
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and future unite
And flourish in idea and deed
What's the spring with its air of rebirth
To those felled under wildest duress
Trading freedom for a false sense of worth
Let the love of our own sacred rites
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and future unite
And flourish in idea and deed
Let the costume distinguish the strong
Place riches in lowest esteem
It's for excess that people do wrong
And to liberty honesty's lean
Let the love of our own sacred rites
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and future unite
And flourish in idea and deed
Letting one minute go on
Without seeing yourself with an eye
That is watchful and kindly and strong
Is as letting the soul drop and die
Let the love of our own sacred rites
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and future unite
And flourish in idea and deed
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More Featured Meanings
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Well, first of all, this is an adaptation of a Scottish folk song, Both Sides the Tweed, written about the merging of Scotland and England into a single country.
In that vein, I've always thought the chorus of this song was about marriage and how people create new families out of old (Let the love of our own sacred rites/To the love of our people succeed).
The verses seem to be about being true to yourself and not giving in to materialism. I don't know how that meshes with the chorus, but it's a great song regardless.