Ed Sheeran’s “Moving” is NOT a breakup w/a Gal

Ed Sheeran is on some Taylor Swift Easter Egg $hit!

This song has layered meanings, and I’m here to persuade you that it’s a take-down of the lawsuit.

The Background Info:

The Young Gun (as NASCAR would say):

Legacy:

Copyright:

The Lawsuit:

I think “Moving” is a commentary on the court case. Let’s look at that song by Songwriters: Ed Sheeran & Aaron Dessner and “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye & Ed Townsend:

This is the last song I’m writing ’bout you
Up ’til now, well, I’d never tried to

It was insinuated that Ed copied the Gaye/Townsend’s song

Ed is saying this take-down song IS about Gaye/Townsend, but prior to that he wasn’t trying to write anything of Gaye/Townsend (LGIO).

You don’t feel any kind of pain like I do
So, let’s forget it even happened, babe

I think Ed is referencing the content in the song he’s accused of plagiarizing, here. He plays the subject of that song, the recipient of the come-ons (the woman). After a one night stand or lowering of boundaries and succumbing to a sexual liaison out of wedlock, women in particular are stigmatized. There is a player/slut dichotomy for good reason in this patriarchal society. 

The final lines in “Let’s Get it On” are satisfied. The man has cum and he feels good. There is no negative outcome for the man in LGIO’s scenario. 

I think Ed brings up this double standard of the sexes. Men are congratulated for their conquests, women are vilified. Similarly, Ed feels unfairly vilified being called out for copying chord progressions, when it’s ubiquitous in music, and everyone is doing it. Both are double standards.

You’re all I thought about whenever I woke
And all I’d talk about whenever I spoke

Ed became obsessed with the court case, even missing important funerals.

All I’d sing when I would hit the high notes

It’s a weird line because it’s a double-entendre, folks.

Kinda like the LGIO subject of propositioning a woman for sex (than orgasming).

But now, it doesn’t even matter

If you come back

It’s like we never even had that

Every moment when you took my joy away

contrasted with “Let’s get it on”

All the memories mean nothing from today
Up ’til now, I never hold back

This line is another reference (and opposition) to LGIO:

[more double entendre, thinly veiled for a more savy 2000’s audience than it was for 60’s/70’s listeners. Spoiler alert this is about a man holding back his orgasm and encouraging his lady to cum]

True emotion make me feel sad
But I never wanna hear your name again
And go back to how it was before you came

Secret sex reference to the original sex song:

Start moving on, moving on
I feel on a roll since you’ve been gone
Start moving on, moving on

Do you think it’s an accident that Ed’s main premise and chorus of this song happens to rhyme with the Gaye/Townsend chorus of the song Ed was accused of planarizing?

Out of my life, life
Where you belong

“Belong” is a loaded word, here. The whole issue of copyright and plagiarism is what components of a song can even have ownership? Certainly not notes. Chord progressions? That was the central question in the LGIO Townsend/TOL Sheeran lawsuit.

This is the last time I’m thinking ’bout you
I used to cry, but then, was it a crime too?

This line is neat because it brings up the copyright “crime” but it also brings up the double-standards when it comes to sex. 

The Gaye/Townsend song is confident there is nothing wrong with this man who wants to FUCK. And tells the woman of his desire, that there’s nothing wrong with her wanting sex with him (IF the love is true). There are no conditions for him, but for her, there IS a condition to be seen as good/right by society.

I spent a lifetime trying to make the right moves

Ed, again contrasts himself against the “Let’s get it on” song, saying he tries hard. He has to work to make the right moves. Whereas the Gaye/Townsend song is smooth and trying to hook up with this gal. 

The subtle comparison here, is that Ed works hard on his music too–he’s not just blithely grabbing bits of someone else’s material.

And got myself caught in a pattern, babe

The “pattern” being the chord progressions.

You take a smile and then you turn it to dust
You take what’s gold and then you somehow make rust

The gold record song is now tainted by these false accusations that led to a frivolous trial.

Every lie, it made it harder to trust

The claims in court were a stretch/lies. Ed felt like the Townsend’s attorneys and “experts” were misrepresenting the facts and ignorant about the technicalities of music:

But now, it doesn’t even matter

If you come back

“You” being greedy, greedy parasites trying to capitalize on infringement verdicts.

It’s like we never even had that
Every moment when you took my joy away

All the memories mean nothing from today
Up ’til now, I never hold back
True emotion make me feel sad

I think the “true emotion” of it all is getting at the appropriation of black music in ALL music. Ed acknowledges the problem and says that makes him sad [my opinion: Understatement]. But should Ed fall on his sword and settle out of court to make up for the transgressions on an industry/entire society?

But I never wanna hear your name again
And go back to how it was before you came

Ed won the lawsuit and says he never wants to hear about Gaye/Townsend/LGIO/copyright again (and secondarily references the crescendo of the song LGIO. Cumming, they’re talking about orgasm–I don’t make the rules).

Start moving on, moving on
I feel on a roll since you’ve been gone
Start moving on, moving on
Out of my life, life
Where you belong

Do-do-do-do-do-do-do (hey)
Do-do-do-do-do (hey, ooh)
Do-do-do-do-do (yeah)
Do-do-do-do-do

Start moving on, moving on
I feel on a roll since you’ve been gone
Start moving on, moving on
Out of my life, life
Where you belong

Source:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/06/05/ed-sheeran-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-marvin-gaye

Source: Musixmatch