“Boat” is the opening track on Ed Sheeran’s 2023 album ‘-‘ or ‘Subtract.’ The song is about resilience–floating like a boat on adversities of life.
Ed Sheeran announced the next edition of his mathematical function album series ‘-‘ or ‘Subtract’ as an “opening the trapdoor into my soul” and that “For the first time, I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life.” ‘Subtract’ follows Ed Sheeran’s 2021 project ‘=’ or ‘Equals.’
The Brit singer talked about the inspiration behind “Boat” on Instagram; “I wrote this by the English seaside, very extreme elements in the winter. It’s basically about feeling very low and not knowing how to make it feel better, but being determined it wasn’t gonna be the end. The waves won’t break my boat.”
Listen to “Boat” by Ed Sheeran
Buy ‘- (Subtract)’ Album on Apple Music and Amazon
Ed Sheeran “Boat” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Sitting by the English seaside, Ed Sheeran felt inspiration from the ocean waves crashing non-stop on the sandy beaches. He sees a few boats rocking over the waves. A rare big wave tries to catch the boat off guard and take it down. But, the boat was built for this sole purpose–to stay afloat.
Maybe, humans are the same. We have been through a lot over the years. Even more so recently. A global pandemic, unemployment, inflation, gun violence, protests, terrorism, and more. These are trying times. A lot of people were tested to their limits. Some people never fully recovered. A few did.
Everyone has to move in some way. Everyone has a choice, no matter how bleak it may seem. No matter how high the waves climb over your boat, or how hard they rock your boat, you have to hold on tight and weather the adversities.
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”
Ed Sheeran also mentions how heartbreak can make us numb. The more we jump from one relationship to another, the less we start to feel in each going forward. This is us evolving to adapt to the pain. While this is helpful, it takes a bit away from who we really are.
How do we pull ourselves from adversities and still keep our hearts intact? This is the key to life.
Let us hear what you think about the song in the comments below. Read the complete lyrics to the song on Genius.
