Sunburn

To me this song is about a relationship that had to end because the narrator had to move away. However, you can tell that the narrator, in this case the guy, still wanted them to have a long distance relationship but the other person, the girl, did not.

"You’re not her Though I try to see you differently"

• Since the breakup he is been trying to see other people in his new town. And although he is trying his best to move on he can't help but remember his ex (Alice).

"I tow the line You see, I’m searching for what used to be, mine."

• He has his guard up because he is unconsciously comparing everyone to his ex.

"I saw your eyes And then I saw Alice staring back at me"

• Even though he is trying, he can't hep but think of Alice and what they used to be.

"So I will try to find another one Who suited me as well as her"

• However, he remembered that he will never be back together with Alice. So he know that he has to move one, and find another potential girlfriend (or wife) just like he did with Alice.

"I moved far away from you"

• I'm not reading too much into it. I think he literally had to move away. Since Ed Sheeran is singing it I assume that he had to tour and spend a lot of time on the road. However, it could also meaning that he just moving away from his hometown.

"And I want to see you here beside me, dear"

• Even though he is away he still wishes she was right there besides him and no one else (like his girlfriend) .

"But things aren’t clear"

• He is not sure where their "relationship" is at anymore. He doesn't know how she feels.

"When we never even tried We never even talked We never even thought in the long run"

• She didn't gave their relationship a chance. He was willing to have some sort of agreement, but she called it quits- without a fight. And it pains him because he thinks that she didn't think of what could've been if they would've stayed together (maybe marriage?) . To him, distance wasn't wasn't strong enough as their relationship. He thinks that they should have at least tried.

"Whenever it was painful Whenever I was away I’d miss you I miss you"

• If they would've stayed together, he wouldn't have cheated on her when it got painful. He would just miss her like he misses her right now even though they are not together.

"She was mine I was hers And all that’s in between"

• They were perfect for each other.

"If she would cry I would shelter her And keep her from the darkness that will be If moved far away from you And I want to see you here beside me, dear"

• I think that he is thinking that when he tells her that he is moving away she is going to cry and he is going to console her (as he always does). And then he will tell her that he still wants them to be together- they don't have to break up. They are too perfect for each other.

"But things aren't clear"

• He is confused. She didn't reacted like he thought she would. Instead, she broke up with him. Maybe they weren't in the same page or maybe (just maybe) he loved her more than she loved him.

"We never even tried We never even talked We never even thought in the long run Whenever it was painful Whenever I was away I'd miss you And I miss you"

• I think this is the same as the other one.

"Don't drop me in It's not my turn"

• He is saying that he is not ready for them to broke up. He still has too much to fight.

"If you cut deep Then I might learn That you scarred and left me Like a sunburn"

• I don't know how the first two lines apply to my theme but the las two mean that she was his sun. She used brighten her day and make everything perfect. But now that she broke up with him he just feels the sunburn and not the warmth and light that the sun used to bring him.