When I first heard Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” a week ago I fell in love with the catchy beat and smooth melody. I jammed to it constantly for a few days before the lyrics began to sink in. At that point my soul began to itch, which meant it was time for me to deconstruct the lyrics. I try to be aware of the messages I am ingesting from society, and the messages from this song left me with a lot of questions.
- The song is about physical and sexual attraction. The attraction was consummated with a sexual relationship. Now he is asking her to “be my baby”. Is that an invitation for more sex? Is it an invitation for an emotionally healthy, emotionally intimate relationship? Both? Neither?
- More specifically, where does emotional intimacy, which was not overtly mentioned in the lyrics, fit in this equation?
- What messages do boys and men take from these lyrics? What expectations do they have when they say these things to girls and women?
- What messages do girls and women take from these lyrics? What expectations do they have when they hear boys and men say these things to them?
- Imagine the singer was female and the subject of her attraction was male. What expectations do girls and women have when they say these things to boys and men. What expectations do boys and men have when girls and women say these things to them?
- What does, “I’m in love with your body,” mean when a man says it to a woman? How about when a woman says it to a man?
- Does this specific expression of physical and sexual attraction include attraction to the whole person? Does it exclude it?
- Do the answers to any of these questions change in the context of a same-sex or genderqueer relationship? Do they change in the context of a relationship with someone with a physical disability? If so, how and why do they change?
I still enjoy the song, and the video is cute (if weird). But I am able to enjoy it now that I am aware of why I find the lyrics questionable.