Ed Sheeran – Tides | Lyrics Meaning Explained

“Tides” is the opening track of Ed Sheeran’s 2021 album ‘=’ or ‘Equals.’ In this song, Ed Sheeran sits with his thoughts about how everything around him changes, while he seems to stay the same old soulful ginger. Ed Sheeran wants his fans to know his view on his life.

Ed Sheeran announced his fourth studio album ‘=’ also known as ‘Equals’ to be released on October 29, 2021. Announcing the album, Ed Sheeran commented his experiences that inspired this brand new album; “I’ve been through love, loss, new life, grief and everything in between during the whole period of writing it, and I feel like it’s really a coming of age record.” This is Ed Sheeran’s first major project since his collaborative album ‘No. 6’ in 2019 and follow-up to his mathematic’s inspired album series. 

The title of the song, ‘Tides’ refers to the turn of tides which is a reference to the change in phases of life we all encounter. Ed Sheeran talks about how he has grown from a small kid with a guitar performing at street corners to one of the biggest artists in the world. Even more so, he is prouder of the fact that he has been able to raise a family amidst the chaos of his celebrity life.

In an interview, Ed Sheeran explained the idea behind “Tides”; “basically I wanted to do chaos and calm. The verses are about my career and the chorus is about becoming a dad.”

Listen to “Tides” by Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran “Tides” Lyrics Meaning and Song Meaning

Verse 1

In the first verse of the song, Ed Sheeran talks about the current state of his life – both the good and the bad. He seems to be quite grateful about his family life with his wife Cherry Seaborn and their daughter Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran. These may have forced him to move on from his party lifestyle. However, Ed Sheeran admits that he still indulges in drugs;

I still love getting out of my mind, I should cut it down

Ed Sheeran also knows that he has some bad friends in his circle that he should cut down. Looking back at his youth, there are moments Ed Sheeran wishes he could have taken back. But there is nothing he can do about his past. Having a child has given him a new perspective on his life.

The line “everything has changed” could also be a reference to his collaboration with Taylor Swift of the same title.

Chorus

In the hook of the song, Ed Sheeran sings how everything seems to freeze around him when he holds his daughter in his hands. He feels his life taking strides towards better pastures when he looks into her eyes.

Verse 2

In the second verse of the song, Ed Sheeran admits that he lost count of what is important in life when he was chasing his dream of becoming a global superstar. He was the life of the party and his life was his music. Every misstep took out a piece of him and he lost confidence in who he was. Thankfully, Ed Sheeran did not derail completely. He has been able to get a grasp of his life and turn things around for the better. His wife would have played a big part in this journey. And now his daughter is the main catalyst.

Ed Sheeran admits that sometimes he has thoughts of disappearing off the face of the earth. But then he looks at his daughter’s face and realizes that everything is alright.

Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.