The True Meaning Behind 'Shivers' By Ed Sheeran
When it comes to pleasing music lovers, Ed Sheeran certainly seems to know what he's doing. Just pop on songs like "Afterglow," "Visiting Hours," or his super popular "Shape of You" to get an idea of why fans adore his music so much. Of course, while each of these tunes is worthy of your favorite playlist, there's more to each song than just a catchy sound. They also tend to have some pretty stellar lyrics that tell us a lot about the star himself as well as the world around him and the relationships he finds himself in. For instance, just take a listen to "Shivers."
"So my second official single from my 4th studio album is called 'Shivers,' and it's out September 10th," Sheeran wrote in the caption of an Instagram post that he shared on September 2, referring to his album, "= (Equals)." Going on to note that he "wrote this as soon as the Divide tour ended in a rented farm in Suffolk where [he] had set up a studio for a couple of weeks to see what happened," he explained that it took him three days to write, admitting that's "very different" for him. However, he "felt it was too special to get wrong."
What makes this song so special? Well, on top of the fact that Sheeran claimed he "bloody love[s] it," it happens to have a meaning that's hotter and deeper than you might have realized. Keep reading to delve into this sizzling tune!
This is why Ed Sheeran is 'on fire' in 'Shivers'
Thanks to the fact that "Shivers" has a chilly-sounding name, you might think that it's cold in nature. Not so! This song is actually pure fire. Or, to be more specific, it's Ed Sheeran who's feeling the heat. He makes that perfectly clear in the pre-chorus, per Genius, when he sings, "I wanna be that guy, I wanna kiss your eyes / I wanna drink that smile, I wanna feel like ... my soul's on fire, I wanna stay up all day and all night..."
Obviously, there's someone in Sheeran's life who's creating a sultry situation. Perhaps it's his wife, Cherry Seaborn? While that seems like a safe bet, what's absolutely certain is that the singer is seriously into their red-hot connection. That's why, in the chorus, he adds, "Ooh, I love it when you do it like that / And when you're close up, give me thе shivers." Beyond that, in the bridge he tells the person he's with, "Baby, you burn so hot, you make me shiver / With the fire you got, this thing we started / I don't want it to stop / You know you make me shiver..."
While that might make it sound like the fire is almost too hot to handle between these two, the song reveals that there's more than just physical heat that's sparking.
There's more to Ed Sheeran's 'Shivers' than just a sizzling connection
"I took an arrow to the heart / I never kissed a mouth that tastes like yours / Strawberries and a somethin' more / Ooh, yeah, I want it all," Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse of "Shivers," via Genius. While he again mentions the physical connection between himself and his significant other — is the mention of strawberries a sweet nod to his wife, Cherry? — we can't help but notice the fact that he also brings up the fact that he's also experiencing some deep feelings in his heart.
Sheeran goes on to reveal that he's indeed caught up both physically and emotionally with this person in the second verse when he adds, "Into the car / On the back seat in the moonlit dark / Wrap me up between your legs and arms / Ooh, I can't get enough." Admitting that this person knows that they "could tear [him] apart," he also says that they could "put me back together and take my heart." That's because, as he tells both his listeners and the one he adores, "I never thought that I could love this hard / Ooh, I can't get enough."
If you're blushing and swooning at the same time, we honestly wouldn't blame you!