Take It Back by Ed Sheeran Lyrics Meaning – The Poetic Journey of Self-Discovery
Lyrics
I’ve got a habit of spitting
Quicker lyrics you know
You found me ripping the writtens
Out of the pages they sit in
And never once I get bitten
Because plagiarism is hidden
Which I would sit on the rhythm
Prisoner with a vision
Signs of a label, but didn’t listen to any criticism
Thought you knew but you didn’t
So perk your ears up and listen
Studio is a system
And you could say that I’m driven
And now it’s on to the next saga
We drink the best lager
I never tried to win you over
Like your stepfather
I do my own thing now, and get respect after
And I’m avoiding cocaine like it was Get Carter
For four years I never had a place to stay
But it’s safe to say that it kept me grounded like a paperweight
At sixteen years old, yeah I moved out of my home
I was Macy Gray I tried to say goodbye and I choked
And went from sleeping at the subway station
To sleeping with a movie star and adding to the population
Not my imagination, I don’t wanna relax
Would it hurt your reputation if I put it on wax?
I’ll take it back now
Mmm, come on and take it back, love
Come on and take it back for us
Don’t you fade into the back, love
No
I take it back with the rhythm and blues
With my rap pack I’ll be singing the news
Trying to act like Jack Black when I bring ’em to school
I’ll make a beat with my feet by just hitting a loop
Bringing the lyrics to prove that I can fit in these shoes
I give you the truth through the vocal booth
Stars burst out on the scene like an opal fruit
They try and take aim like Beckham when he goes to shoot
But then again that’s what they’re supposed to do
And I’m supposed to be calm
I tattooed the lyrics onto my arm
Whispering everything that happens is from now on
I’ll be ready to start again at the end of the song
Still their claiming that I handled it wrong
But then I never had an enemy, except for NME
But I’ll be selling twice as many copies as the magazines will ever be
With only spectacles ahead of me and festival fees
I’m healthier than a Dalmatian on Pedigree
Singing for the masses
Rubber dinghy rapids
I keep this rapping a habit
And keep on fashioning magic
I’m battling for respect
I don’t know if I’ll have it
This songs from the heart
Cover the planet
I’ll take it back now
Mmm, come on and take it back, love
Come on and take it back for us
Don’t you fade into the back, love
No
Take it back now
Now I don’t ever want to be perfect
‘Cause I’m a singer that you
Never want to see shirtless
And I accept the fact that someone has to win worst-dressed
Taking my first steps into the scene
Giving me focus
Putting on a brave face, like Timothy Dalton
Considering a name change
Thinking it was hopeless
Rhyming over recordings
Avoiding tradition
‘Cause every day some lyrics
And a melody can be written
Now absence can make your heart break
But drinking absinthe can change your mind-state, vividly
I need to let my liver be
And I say it again
Living life on the edge
With a closed hand full of friends
Is good advice from a man
Who took his life on the road with me
And I hope to see him blowing up globally
‘Cause that’s how it’s supposed to be
I’m screaming out vocally
It might seem totally impossible
Achieving life’s dreams
But, but I just write schemes
I’m never having a stylist, giving me tight jeans
Madison Square Garden is where I might be
But more likely
You’ll find me in the back
Room of a dive bar with my mates
Having a pint with McDaid
Discussing records we made
And every single second knowing
That we’ll never betray
The way we were raised
Remembering our background
Sat down
That’s how we plan it out
It’s time to take it back now
Mmm, come on and take it back, love
Come on and take it back for us
Don’t you fade into the back, love
No
Mmm, come on and take it back, love
Come on and take it back for us
Don’t you fade into the back, love
No
Ed Sheeran’s ‘Take It Back’ is a vibrant confession booth of rhythm and blues, wherein lies the blend of bravado and vulnerability that has come to characterize Sheeran’s music. Straying from the pop-laden tracks that often dominate his albums, Sheeran returns to his roots, armed with nothing but his voice and a looping pedal to lay bare his history, ambitions, and reflections.
The song is a rich tapestry, with threads of self-acceptance, dogged perseverance, and a biting criticism of the music industry. Each verse peels back layers of Sheeran’s psyche, revealing the ethos of a singer-songwriter who refuses to be boxed in by labels or expectations. It’s a narrative of personal growth, told through slick verses that interweave his past and present into a manifesto of authenticity.
A Surprising Confession: I’m Not a Rapper
Ed opens ‘Take It Back’ with a line that deftly punctures any potential misclassification: ‘I’m not a rapper, I’m a singer with a flow.’ Herein, Sheeran establishes not just his musical style but also his narrative voice—one that’s rhythmically intricate but melodically inclined. In the process, he invites the listener to redefine any preconceived notions, prompting us to listen with fresh ears.
Sheeran’s ‘habit of spitting quicker lyrics you know’ is not merely a boast of technical prowess; it’s an assertion of his space in the music sphere. It’s an assurance that while others may judge or attempt to categorize his artistry, his music transcends the boundaries of conventional genre labels.
Triumph over Industry Chains: The Hidden Rebel
Amongst the groove-inducing beats, Sheeran recounts his tussles with the music industry: ‘Signs of a label, but didn’t listen to any criticism.’ It’s a revelation of his early encounters with the gatekeepers of music, whose criticisms and attempts at directing his artistic vision were met with a steadfast resolution.
He cements his independence with the artful line ‘Studio is a system, and you could say that I’m driven,’ painting a picture of an artist at odds with the constraints of an industry system designed to shape and sometimes stifle creativity. ‘Take It Back’ isn’t just a recollection of struggles; it’s Sheeran’s declaration of emancipation from industry norms.
From Subways to Stardom: A Humble Beginning
The poignant recounting of Sheeran’s past—he was ‘sleeping at the subway station’ and moved ‘out of my home’ at sixteen—lends the story a raw, almost cinematic quality. It’s the classic zero-to-hero journey, chronicled by an artist who has literally played the gritty streets before owning the stage.
The lyric ‘which I would sit on the rhythm prisoner with a vision,’ evokes the image of a young Sheeran as a hopeful inmate of his own circumstances, armed only with the burning clarity of his musical dreams. His transient life, marked by trials, fortifies his craft, grounding him ‘like a paperweight,’ a symbol of resilience and resistance to the flightiness of fame.
Unfazed by Flash: Sheeran’s Memorably Grounded Lines
‘Now I don’t ever want to be perfect,’ Sheeran sings, and you believe him. His self-aware humor regarding his image (‘a singer that you never want to see shirtless’) disarms critics. It highlights Sheeran’s understanding that his allure doesn’t come from an airbrushed persona but rather from an authentic and unfiltered connection with his audience.
This idea gets a nod with the lyric ‘never having a stylist, giving me tight jeans,’ reminding us that Sheeran’s presence in the industry is rooted not in exterior appearances but in the substantial merit of his songwriting and musical talent. In today’s world of manufactured images, Sheeran’s insistence on substance is both refreshing and memorable.
The Verdict: Visionary or Vagabond?
The song’s crescendo sees Sheeran taking ownership of his narrative, ‘It’s time to take it back now.’ It’s a call to reclaim one’s right to self-authorship, whether one is a star ‘at Madison Square Garden’ or ‘in the back room of a dive bar.’ The song becomes a soundtrack for anyone who has ever fought to preserve their identity amidst external pressures.
‘Take It Back’ encapsulates the essence of Ed Sheeran’s ethos—the power of staying true to one’s visions and roots. Beyond its catchy hook and the allure of its beats, Sheeran presents his listeners with a deeper encouragement to forge their unique path ‘with a closed hand full of friends’ and to do so unapologetically. It begs the question: are we, like Sheeran, brave enough to take it back?
