Meaning of Shape of You by Ed Sheeran & Song Story

A Grammy for Best Pop Performance, three billion YouTube views, fourteen weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart, twelve weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the status of the most downloaded track on Spotify – this is an incomplete list of the achievements of the song Shape of You by British musician Ed Sheeran (Ed Sheeran).

But they might not have been. The song wasn’t meant for Ed. Moreover, when the producers saw it as a hit, Sheeran refused to even include it on the album, let alone release it as a single.

The story of the creation of the song Shape of You

Superhit was born by the efforts of Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac (Steve Mac) and Johnny McDaid (Johnny McDaid). At Sheeran’s instigation, they got together to write “some cool stuff”.

Steve tells the story.

We started writing, and within the first two hours Shape of You was born. At the end of the session, Ed asked, “Can we listen to that first one again?” And later added: “Do you think Rihanna is still recording?”.
At that stage, we didn’t think we were writing for Ed. Maybe that’s why it sounds like that. We put it aside and wrote two more songs that day.

Music Business Worldwide

That evening, Sheeran met with Atlantic UK label executives Ben Cook and Ben Howard. He played them songs from the upcoming album.

Steve Mac remembers:

Then he played them Shape, which was then called In Love with Your Body. As far as I understand, Ben Cook got very excited and said: “It should be released as a single!” Neither Ed nor I nor Johnny even thought it was an Ed Sheeran recording. We just thought it was a good pop song. Ben and Ed Howarth heard something different. That’s why they are so good at what they do.

Music Business Worldwide

Sheeran confirmed that the song was not originally written for him:

In fact, [Shape of You] was chosen really at random, because Steve Mack and Johnny McDaid and I started writing songs for other people. We were writing this song, and I was thinking, “This would really suit Rihanna. [Rihanna]”. And then I started humming words like “putting Van the Man on the jukebox” and I thought, “Well, she won’t sing that, will she?” And then we decided along the way that we would do it for me. ”

BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast Show, 2017

Sheeran later admitted that other artists had claimed the tune:

You know, we actually started it as a song for Little Mix, and halfway through I was like, ‘It sounds like it might suit Rihanna.’ And after a while we decided: “Yes, she’s really good. We should keep her.”

BeBox, 2017

Ed also said that he didn’t like the composition at first.

In fact, Shape of You was the only song I thought wasn’t mine. Johnny and Steve… it took maybe a month or two to convince me to even put it on the album, and then it took another month to convince me to release it as a single.

Spotify

The meaning of the song Shape of You

What the track Shape of You is about is clear without explanation. A bar, a guy drinking in the company of friends, a girl he likes, a fleeting relationship, further memories – you see, a banal story.

Sheeran recalled that the chorus originally ended with “I’m in love with your body”, but McDade convinced the co-writers to change the last line to “I’m in love with the shape of you”.

Check out the official Shape of You lyric video by Ed Sheeran.

Release and achievements

On January 4, 2017, Ed Sheeran posted a six-second video online with the phrase “The club isn’t the best place to find a lover.” Fans did not know then that this is the first line of the song Shape of You.

Intrigued fans did not have to languish for a long time in anticipation of a new composition. On January 6, the song was released digitally as a single from the album “÷ (Divide)”.

Shape of You topped forty-four singles charts. In Canada, she set the record for longest stay at number one. In the UK, the track became the best-selling song of 2017. It has been streamed over 1.32 billion times on Spotify.

At the 60th Grammy Awards, the song won Best Pop Solo Performance.

Video Shape of You

The official music video for Shape of You was filmed by Jason Koenig in Seattle. In the video, Ed Sheeran appears as a boxer. He was accompanied by dancer Jennie Pegouskie and sumo wrestler Yamamotoyama Ryuta.

Ed Sheeran recorded a remix of Shape of You featuring Stormzy. Let’s watch the video clip.

The BKAYE Remix version of Shape of You is also popular on YouTube.

Interesting Facts

Appearing bare-chested in the video, Ed Sheeran realized that he should change his lifestyle and go in for sports.

Shape of You – Ed Sheeran Lyrics

The club isn’t the best place to find a lover
So the bar is where I go
Me and my friends at the table doing shots
Drinking fast and then we talk slow
Come over and start up a conversation with just me
And trust me I’ll give it a chance now
Take my hand stop
Put Van the Man on the jukebox
And then we start to dance
And now I’m singing like

Chorus 1
Girl, you know I want your love
Your love was handmade for somebody like me
Come on now, follow my lead
I may be crazy, don’t mind me
Say, boy, let’s not talk too much
Grab on my waist and put that body on me
Come on now, follow my lead
Come, come on now, follow my lead

Chorus 2
I’m in love with the shape of you
We push and pull like a magnet do
Although my heart is falling too
I’m in love with your body
And last night you were in my room
And now my bedsheets smell like you
Every day discovering something brand new
I’m in love with your body
Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I
I’m in love with your body
Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I
I’m in love with your body
Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I
I’m in love with your body
Every day discovering something brand new
I’m in love with the shape of you

One week in we let the story begin
We’re going out on our first date
You and me are thrifty, so go all you can eat
Fill up your bag and I fill up a plate
We talk for hours and hours about the sweet and the sour
And how your family is doing okay
Leave and get in a taxi, then kiss in the backseat
Tell the driver make the radio play, and I’m singing like

Chorus 1

Chorus 2

Come on, be my baby, come on x8

Chorus

Shape of You Lyrics Ed Sheeran Alternative

The club is not the best place to find a couple?
So I go to a bar
We drink with friends at the table,
We drink glass after glass, and then slowly chat
Come and talk only to me
Trust me I’m ready to try
Take my hand, stay
Put Van Morrison on the jukebox
And then we’ll start dancing
And now I’m singing…

Chorus 1
Girl you know I need your love
Your love is handmade for someone like me
Come on follow me
Maybe I’m crazy, don’t mind
Say, “Boy, stop talking”
Grab my waist and pull me to you
Come on follow me
Come on, come on, follow me

Chorus 2

I’m in love with your image
We attract and repel like magnets
Though my heart is on edge
I’m in love with your body
Last night you were in my room
And now the sheets smell of you
Every day brings something new
I’m in love with your body
O-i-o-i-o-i-o-i
I’m in love with your body
O-i-o-i-o-i-o-i
I’m in love with your body
O-i-o-i-o-i-o-i
I’m in love with your body
Every day brings something new
I’m in love with your image

A week later we start our story
We go on a first date
We are frugal and prefer the buffet
Get a full bag and I’ll fill the plate
We chat for hours about pleasant and not so pleasant
And that your family is doing well
We leave, get in a cab, kiss in the backseat
We tell the driver to turn on the radio, and I sing …

Chorus 1

Chorus 2

Come on, be mine baby, come on

Chorus 2