Subtract (Deluxe) Album Lyrics by Ed Sheeran

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Boat

Came in for the embers
Stayed out for the breeze
I need to feel elements to remind me
There's beauty when it's bleak

Stuck out long before lights down
Why do I breathe?

Oh, I know
The more that I love the less that I feel
The times that I jumped never were real
They say that all scars will heal but I know
Maybe I won't

But the waves won't break my boat
But the waves won't break my boat

Stones crash on the boardwalk
Wind rushed through the trees
I keep my eyes peeled
The memories always fall short
Of what we could have been

Left out long before last call
What do I need?

Oh, I know
The more that I love the less that I feel
The times that I jumped never were real
They say that all scars will heal but I know
Maybe I won't

But the waves won't break my boat
But the waves won't break my boat
But the waves won't break my boat
The waves won't break my boat

The more that I love the less that I feel
The times that I jumped never were real
They say that all scars will heal but I know
Maybe I won't

And the waves won't break my boat

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Saltwater

There's still so far to go
And I can't feel my toes
When the rain soaks through the heels
And slips to the sole
Yeah, the blades are two feet tall
I wade in green
I'm moving forward, to where?
God only knows

Feel the wind's harsh refrain
Like the clouds gripped my face
Saying it's alright to run
From all this pain
Oh and when it's time to go
With one last breath that's in my lungs
I'll scream, it's all for love
I'll scream, it's all for love

Come and kiss me, salt water
Oh finally, I feel, at three or four degrees
I'm free in salt water
Embrace the deep and leave everything
It was just a dream

I can see it up ahead
Where the sky meets the ground
And after that there's only moving grey
I am filled up with regret
With things I did or never said
Just leave that well alone

And come kiss me, salt water
Oh finally, I feel, at three or four degrees
I'm free in salt water
Embrace the deep and leave everything

It was just a dream
It was just a dream
It was just a dream
It was just a dream
Was it just a dream?

Now I'm standing on the edge
Gazing into hell
Or is it something else?
I just can't tell
When there's nothing left
I close my eyes and take one step
And say, well here it goes
And say, well here it goes

Come and kiss me, salt water
Oh finally, I feel, at three or four degrees
I'm free in salt water
Embrace the deep and leave everything

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Eyes Closed

I know it's a bad idea
But how can I help myself?
Been inside for most this year
And I thought a few drinks, they might help
It's been a while, my dear
Dealin' with the cards life dealt
I'm still holdin' back these tears
While my friends are somewhere else

I pictured this year a little bit different when it hit February
I step in the bar, it hit me so hard, oh, how can it be this heavy?
Every song reminds me you're gone and I feel the lump form in my throat
'Cause I'm here alone

Just dancin' with my eyes closed
'Cause everywhere I look, I still see you
And time is movin' so slow
And I don't know what else that I can do
So I'll keep dancin' with my

Eye-eye-eye-eyes
Eye-eye-eye-eyes closed
Eye-eye-eye-eyes
So I'll keep dancin' with my

Delusion is here again
And I think you'll come home soon
A word brings me right back in
Then it's only me that's in this room
I guess I could just pretend
The colors are more than blue
But I lost more than my friend
I can't help but missin' you

I pictured this month a little bit different, no one is ever ready
And when it unfolds, you get in a hole, oh, how can it be this heavy?
Everything changes, nothing's the same, except the truth is now you're gone
And life just goes on

So I'm dancin' with my eyes closed
'Cause everywhere I look, I still see you
And time is movin' so slow
And I don't know what else that I can do
So I'll keep dancin' with my

Eye-eye-eye-eyes
Eye-eye-eye-eyes closed
Eye-eye-eye-eyes
So I'll keep dancin' with my
Eye-eye-eye-eyes
Eye-eye-eye-eyes closed
Eye-eye-eye-eyes
Oh, I keep dancin' with my

They're shutting the bar, they're cleaning the floor
And everyone is already home
But I'm on my own

Still dancin' with my eyes closed
'Cause everywhere I look, I still see you
Time is movin' so slow
And I don't know what else that I can do
So I'll keep dancin' with my

Eye-eye-eye-eyes
Eye-eye-eye-eyes closed
Eye-eye-eye-eyes
Oh, I keep dancin' with my
Eye-eye-eye-eyes
Eye-eye-eye-eyes closed
Eye-eye-eye-eyes
Oh, I keep dancin' with my

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Life Goes On

It hit like a train, I ran out of words
I got nothin' to say, everything hurts
And I know love leads to pain
But memories serve our sweetest refrain, mm

The waves came tumblin' down
As you float away, I'm reachin' for ya

To tell me how
How my life goes on with you gone
I suppose I'll sink like a stone
If you leave me now
Oh, the storms will roll
Easy come, hard go
Then life goes on

I miss the flames, the heated reserve
Oh, I'd remember the way that you put me first
What a heart wrenching shame that you'll never know
Just like tears in the rain, mm

A constant grey in the clouds
When I hear your name, I think of love

So tell me how
How my life goes on with you gone
I suppose I'll sink like a stone
If you leave me now
Oh, the storms will roll
Easy come, hard go
Then life goes on

Ay-yeah, life goes on
Ay-yeah-yeah

I watched the sun setting down
I am so afraid, I need you now

To tell me how
How my life goes on with you gone
I suppose I'll sink like a stone
If you leave me now
Oh, the storms will roll
Easy come, hard go
Then life goes on
Easy come, hard go
Then life goes on

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Dusty

I heard you callin', now my eyes are open
Day is breaking into powder blue
Sunlight is framin' our every moment
What a way to start off the day with you

Flick a finger
Start a discussion to pick a singer
This one, you'll love it, I had to bring her
Just let the speakers take you away

And drop the needle on Dusty
Frost on the leaves like a lake
The moment came out of nothin'
A beautiful smile on your face
Yesterday was a long night
But I got a feeling that the future is so bright
All of the pressure washed away in the low tide
But we gotta wait 'til our clothes are bone dry
So I'll drop the needle on Dusty

We were lost within a stormy ocean
Nobody knew what we we're goin' through
We talk about it as we dip our toes in
Take a breathe and brace for the waves with you

Flick a finger
Wait for the magic to do its thing, yeah
There's more than sadness we got within us
Let's put some color into the gray

And drop the needle on Dusty
Frost on the leaves like a lake
The moment came out of nothin'
A beautiful smile on your face
Yesterday was a long night
But I got a feeling that the future is so bright
All of the pressure washed away in the low tide
We gotta wait 'til our clothes are bone dry
So I'll drop the needle on Dusty

Nothing but static on the stereo before today
Both on the edge to throw it all away
I used to think that every situation stayed the same
But I can see they start to change, okay

Drop the needle on Dusty
Frost on the leaves like a lake
The moment came out of nothin'
A beautiful smile on your face
Yesterday was a long night
I got a feeling that the future is so bright
All of the pressure washed away in the low tide
We gotta wait 'til our clothes are bone dry
So I'll drop the needle on Dusty

Drop the needle on Dusty
Drop the needle on Dusty

---

End of Youth

I've been depressed since you left, tried to the fill the hole with wine
Stopped the drugs when she came, cleaned my act up overnight
If you reach with no reply, I'll see you when I see you, man
You can't talk me through the fall if we don't know if I can land
Tried to grow, but the past, it tears me down to size
Tell the world how to process, but don't take the same advice
Half remember what I say, then the morning's filled with fear
Can't get a handle of my grief when every memory turns to tears

It's been a long year and we're not even halfway there

Is this the ending of your youth when pain starts taking over?
I just don't know if I can ever just let it go
Everything's falling apart, when love is real, there's never closure
I guess it's all part of life, but I can't help but feel low

We spend our youth with arms and hearts wide open
And then the dark gets in and that's the end of youth

I've been lost since the teens, but pretend it's all alright
All my ups led to falls that led to trying to end my life
Just a boy at the start, they lent on like a man
You were meant to be my friend and not to take all that you can
Disengage to create, try to reinvent the wheel
No one knows what they want, so I just give you what I feel
If I slip and get high, I know the low is always near
When I'm down, I never see you, when I'm up, you all appear

It's been a long year and we're not even halfway there

Is this the ending of your youth when pain starts taking over?
I just don't know if I can ever just let it go
Everything's falling apart, when love is real, there's never closure
I guess it's all part of life, but I can't help but feel low

We spend our youth with arms and hearts wide open
And then the dark gets in and that's the end of youth

Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh

It's been a long year and we're not even halfway there

Is this the ending of your youth when pain starts taking over?
I just don't know if I can ever just let it go
Everything's falling apart, when love is real, there's never closure
I guess it's all part of life, but I can't help but feel low

We spend our youth with arms and hearts wide open
And then the dark gets in and that's the end of youth
We spend our youth with arms and hearts wide open
And then the dark gets in and that's the end of youth

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Colourblind

Kaleidoscope love, yeah, that is you and me
Forever changing, we make life interesting
Some days, we're red and some days, we both think green
But I like the nights when we leave the canvas free

Grab a brush and see where the feeling may lead
Nothing is out of our reach
Our words are mixing the pigment we need
Can we get started?

I keep falling deeper in dark blue
Brighter than white, rainbow exploding
But I can't see nothing except you and your eyes
Maybe we'll just paint the night colorblind

In every spectrum, we find the millionth piece
Connect the dots and everything in between
Mmm, dull in the moment, you'll turn it golden leaf
You take the dark away, and that's no easy feat

Pick an orange, watch the shade change in the heat
From yellow, purple and green
Your words are mixing each pigment we need
Can we get started?

I keep falling deeper in dark blue
Brighter than white, rainbow exploding
But I can't see nothing except you and your eyes
Maybe we'll just paint the night colorblind

Mm-mm-mm
Maybe we'll just paint the night colorblind

---

Curtains

Can you pull the curtains? Let me see the sunshine
I think I'm done with my hiding place and you found my anyway
It's been forever, but I'm feeling alright
Tears dry and we'll leave no trace, and tomorrow's another day

Hide and seek, I am somewhere closed away
You won't believe how long it's been since I started the game
I can't be seen and you won't find me today
I've not been this low, but I'll be okay

"Are you alright?" Maybe don't ask
'Cause you know I never like to talk about that
Keep it inside, yeah, you say I always hold back
And I always wear long sleeves
Is it in your childhood? Something happen in your past?
Well, the sadness, yeah, I promise that it won't last
And if I could, I would try to take it all back
There's still more underneath and it's when you say to me

Can you pull the curtains? Let me see the sunshine
I think I'm done with my hiding place and you found my anyway
It's been forever, but I'm feeling alright
Tears dry and we'll leave no trace, and tomorrow's another day

Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine
Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine
Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine
Let me see the sunshine

Hide and seek, count to ten and close your eyes
Try to breathe, see a message and don't reply
Nice to meet, but in reality, say goodbye
Life can be so beautiful if we try

"Are you okay?" Yeah, I guess so
But on some days, I feel like I'm trapped in a hole
But I keep quite, so the ones around me don't know
That the mountain feels so steep
And I'll say that I'm here to help to carry the load
And the outside rays, they are good for the soul
So let's step out of the dark 'cause in here, it's so cold
The day's not out of reach and that's when you say to me

Can you pull the curtains? Let me see the sunshine
I think I'm done with my hiding place and you found my anyway
It's been forever, but I'm feeling alright
Tears dry and we'll leave no trace, and tomorrow's another day

Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine
Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine
Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine
Let me see the sunshine

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Borderline

Sadness always finds an in
Sneaks its way past, infecting everything
And every chapter has an end
This is one momentous sequel, don't you think?

And the blackbirds, they fly
Like a frown on the skyline

Right now, I feel I'm running from the light
Engulfed in darkness, shielded from my eyes
One foot in, one out, I'm stuck on the borderline
Which way will I?

Guess I should take this on the chin
But I don't even know how all of this began
And we are made to mould and bend
How can I wish for nothing when it's still a sin?

And right now, I feel I'm running from the light
Engulfed in darkness, shielded from my eyes
One foot in, one out, I'm stuck on the borderline
Which way will I?
Tears never arrive, these ducts are dry
We are so blind waiting on the borderline
Waiting on the borderline

So I will pour another drink
And try to drown the pain with salt along the rim
And I'll shut off the things I think
'Cause nothing good will ever come from worrying

Right now, I feel I'm running from the light
Engulfed in darkness, shielded from my eyes
One foot in, one out, I'm stuck on the borderline
Which way will I?
Tears never arrive, these ducts are dry
We are so blind

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Spark

We've been lost for a long time
In a rut, no escape signs
And for love, we were so blind
Oh, I hate to see you cry
There've been times where the truth lied
Now it's clear as a blue sky

Like a Band-Aid over deeper cuts, we tried
But couldn't stop the fate descending on the night

We'll build a fire
And torch our old life
And hope the spark survives
Use words as kindling
Light up the night sky
Let the memories take flight
And hope the spark survives
Yeah, we hope the spark survives

Oh, I wonder will we pull through?
All we ever do is argue
With not a lot, but we make do
How I wish you wouldn't say that
There are things you can't take back
When you leave, I always face facts

Like a hand that's trying to hold the water back
We couldn't stop the ocean leaking in the cracks

We'll build a fire
And torch our old life
And hope the spark survives
Use words as kindling
Light up the night sky
Let the memories take flight
And hope the spark survives
Yeah, we hope the spark survives

We've taken roads (oh, we've taken roads)
That led to confusion
But right now that don't matter at all (nah, nah)
We'll bring it back (yeah, we'll bring it back)
Our love's no illusion
The higher we go, the harder we fall and now

We'll build a fire
And torch our old life
And hope the spark survives
Use words as kindling
Light up the night sky
Let the memories take flight
And hope the spark survives
Yeah, we hope the spark survives
And we hope the spark survives

---

Vega

Rain keeps beating on the rooftop, muddying the glass
But, God, I love the sound of heaven
Sat cross-legged on the carpet
Listening to vinyl, trying to ignore the weather

This week was heavy, I buckled under all the weight
What can you do but pray?
And count your blessings, it wasn't any other way
Don't leave it up to fate

Fighting the tide, but the waves, they will part
Light up the night, we were made to be stars
But it burns like hell to be Vega

Clouds keep forming over this house
Blocking out the sun, I'm tryna keep it all together
One door closes then one opens, gotta keep the focus
If we'll believe, then she'll get better

The days are long but they pass within an instant, babe
It is the strangest thing
I'll count my blessings the day I see you smile again
This war, we've got to win

Keep it inside, don't let no one see your heart
No one can judge, we're the same in the dark
Fighting the tide, but the waves, they will part
Light up the night, we were made to be stars
But it burns like hell to be Vega

Same problems, different options
Pain comes at a cost, but we've got this
Need respite, bleed time dry
She'll be fine, she'll be fine
Same problems, different options
Pain comes at a cost, but we've got this
Need respite, bleed time dry
She'll be fine, she'll be fine

Rain keeps beating on the rooftop, worrying to death
But I guess this is human nature
We are meant to shine like stars, but
That don't mean it don't burn like hell to be Vega

---

Sycamore

Sycamore in the summer bearing leaves
Swing, you're pushing our daughter underneath
Flowers bloom in the garden, sway in breeze
Just imagine a world where we could be

Right now, in the waiting room, emotions running wild
Worried 'bout my lover and I'm worried 'bout our child
And part of me was always in denial
It's gonna take a little while

Well, in our story, love in, love out
And we are glorious
Well, in our story, love in, love out
And we are glorious

Sycamore bringing shade from beating sun
Nothing more than a word, a smoking gun
What a puzzle is this to be in love
To be planting your roots, then dig them up

Waiting on professionals to tell you how it is
What's he gonna say after "I think you better sit"?
Brace yourself, something's about to hit
It's gonna take a little while

Well, in our story, love in, love out
And we are glorious
Well, in our story, love in, love out
And we are glorious
Well, in our story, love in, love out
And we are glorious
Well, in our story, love in, love out
And we are glorious

Sycamore in the field, a lonely tree
Darling, what will become of you and me?

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No Strings

If we make it through this year
Then nothing can break us
Trouble leaves, then reappears
But we've shown we can take it

We tear our hair out and overthink it
Work and get burnt out

But this is no strings, you are who I love
And that won't change when we're falling apart
Yeah, this is no strings, you are who I love
It's just growing pains

If we make it through this year
We should celebrate it
Rarefied atmosphere
'Til now, we evaded

We tore the walls down to build them up
Never was in doubt

'Cause this is no strings, you are who I love
And that won't change when we're falling apart
Yeah, this is no strings, you are who I love
It's just growing pains

And we did not fight for love
Just to let it be defeated
What we're going through is common
But it doesn't mean we don't feel it
It would be easy just to give it up
Guess we've got enough reasons
But every time that we have come undone

I'll say, "It's no strings, you are who I love
And that won't change when we're falling apart
Yeah, this is no strings, you are who I love
It's just growing pains"

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The Hills of Aberfeldy

Oh, leaves are covered in snow
And the water's frozen
Oh, I long for you to be the one that I'm holding
And warm me down to my bones
As you lay beside me, hold me close
Oh, leaves are starting to fall
And the sun grows cold
And my heart might break from the weight of it all
For all that I know,
You could be holding somebody else as close

When I'm home, I'll hold you like I'm supposed to
Yet I know that I have never told you
Darling, we could fall in love 'neath the hills of Aberfeldy

Oh, the ground is slowly melting
And the sun beats strong
And I feel like my feet may have wandered too long
And I will remain here alone
'Cause I fear that you may have found someone

When I'm home, I'll hold you like I'm supposed to
Yet I know that I have never told you
But, darling, we could fall in love 'neath the hills of Aberfeldy
Darling, we could fall in love 'neath the hills of Aberfeldy

Wherever I go, I will always find
Another stranger to share in the weight of my crimes
And I know you will never find
Another heart that wants you more than mine