Salt Water

In February 2022, a series of devastating blows forever altered Ed Sheeran's life. First, his best friend Jamal Edwards, the young music entrepreneur who propelled his career, tragically passed away. Meanwhile, Ed's wife Cherry Seaborn, carrying their second child, received the shattering news of a cancerous tumor that couldn't be treated until after childbirth. As if that wasn't enough, Sheeran was embroiled in two high-profile plagiarism lawsuits over his smash hits "Thinking Out Loud" and "Shape Of You." During his month of sheer hell, Sheeran channeled his anguish into his music. Amongst the songs born from this darkness, "Salt Water" emerged as the epitome of Sheeran's bleakest creation, capturing the depths of his pain and turmoil.

Over a blend of guitars, cello, and tambourine, Sheeran fearlessly confronts the shadows within, setting free a raw and potent manifestation of his inner anguish. With poignant lyrics like, "Oh, finally, I feel, at three or four degrees, I'm free in salt water," Sheeran delves into the depths of his emotions. Within the metaphorical depths of "salt water," the true meaning of "freedom" takes on a profound significance: the release found in death by submerging oneself in a body of water. Sheeran's reference to "three or four degrees" carries a layered meaning. It represents multiple levels of liberation he experiences through his departure from life - a departure that allows him to break free from the burdens of existence. In addition, it signifies his liberation from the influence and control of those around him.

In the ethereal bridge of the song, Sheeran paints a vivid tableau of himself teetering on the precipice, ready to immerse himself in the embrace of salt water. With lyrics like, "Now, I'm standing on the edge, gazing into hell. Or is it somethin' else? I just can't tell," the imagery evokes a powerful sense of contemplation. In a moment where nothing remains, Sheeran closes his eyes and takes a resolute step forward, declaring, "Well, here it goes." Through these words, he captures the essence of his journey, suggesting a literal act of venturing into the realm beyond life - the afterlife itself.