I've never quite been able to get a handle on his songs. Usually when I get asked - or decide I like a song enough to figure out the chords and lyrics - I do so. The whole process goes something like this:
1) Hear a song - on the radio mostly - or someone asks if I've heard a particular song that they like
2) If I enjoy the song enough to want to play it with my guitar - buy the single online - or the CD
3) Put said song on my phone - earphones in - and start writing down the lyrics as I hear them WHY?! - it's just my way of learning the lyrics. Pause/write/rewind/listen/pause/rewind/write...
4) Start playing along with my guitar to match the song I'm hearing - (no mean feat when I haven't studied music) but I enjoy figuring stuff out.
5) Share my effort.
Sure, there are easier ways to get chords and lyrics these days, but this way works for me
It dawned on me recently why I haven't had much 'luck' in figuring out Ed's songs easily than others I have put on this blog. Have you seen his instrument? It (the guitar :-)) is smaller than most and is tuned differently to us 'ordinary' folks. But, Thinking Out Loud - is one song I decided to persevere with until I got it. Now I just gotta improve my technical ability in playing the guitar - and my voice? - well, it is what it is.
For this song, I play it with Capo on 2 most of the time. No Capo? chords will work just fine as well.
And if you don't know how to play the C/B chord...it's a lot easier than you think.
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
C Am7 F G
When your legs don't work like they used to before
C Am7 F G
And I can't sweep you off of your feet
C Am7 F G
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love
C Am7 F G
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks
C Am7 F G C Am7 F G
And darling I - will be loving you - 'til we're seventy-y
C Am7 F G C Am7
And baby my - heart could still fall as - hard at twenty thre-e
F G
And I'm thinking 'bout how
Dm G C
People fall in love in mysterious ways
Dm G
Maybe just the touch of a hand
Dm G Am
Well me, I fall in love with you every single day
Dm G
And I just wanna tell you I am
C Am7 F
So honey no-w
G C Am7 F
Take me into your loving arms
G C Am7 F
Kiss me under the light of a thousand sta-rs
G C Am7
Place your head on my beating heart
F G
I'm thinking out loud
Am C/B F C F G C
And maybe we found love right where we are
C Am7 F G
When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades
C Am7 F G
And the crowds don't remember my name
C Am7 F G C
When my ha-nds don't play the strings the same way (mmm)
Am7 F G
I know you will still love me the same
C Am7 F G
Coz honey your (you're a) soul (who) could never grow old
C Am7 F G
It's evergreen
C Am7 F G C Am7 F
And baby your smile's forever in my mind and memory
G
I'm thinking 'bout how
Dm G C
People fall in love in mysterious ways
Dm G
And maybe it's all part of a pla--n ?
Dm G (Am) Am7
Well I'll just keep on making the same mistakes
Dm G
Hoping that you'll understand
C Am7 F
But baby now (oo-ooh)
G C Am7 F
Take me into your loving arms
G C Am7 F
Kiss me under the light of a thousand sta-rs
G C Am7
Place your head on my beating heart
F G
I'm thinking out loud
Am C/B F C F G C
And maybe we found love right where we are
C - Am7 - F - G (x4)
C Am7 F
So baby n-o-w
G C Am7 F
Take me into your loving arms
G C Am7 F
Kiss me under the light of a thousand sta-rs (oh darlin')
G C Am7
Place your head on my beating heart
F G
I'm thinking o-ut loud
Am C/B F C F G C
That maybe we found love right where we are
Am C/B F C F G C
And baby we found love right where we a-re
Am C/B F C F (G) C
And we found love right where we are
And of course, solo acoustic is fine. But things shared are much more fun - especially when the others are far more talented (and patient!). Check out this vid below, of Tony and I.
I strummed - using the chords of this post above and Tony did his 'thang'. The best part of the video is between 03:35 and 04:00. Enjoy