A Team

Ed Sheeran

About A Team

"The A Team" is the debut solo single by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 12 June 2011, serving as the lead single from his debut album, + (2011). "The A Team" is a folk ballad with lyrics that speak of a prostitute addicted to crack cocaine, a Class A drug. It was written after Sheeran visited a homeless shelter and heard some of the stories of the lives people had been living. Making the song upbeat and using the line "Class A Team" was his way of masking the heavy subject matter. He wrote the song following a last-minute performance at an event for the homeless. The chorus of "The A Team" was also used by Sheeran in the track "Little Lady", which features Mikill Pane. "Little Lady" is available on the EP No. 5 Collaborations Project. It became a top 10 hit in Australia, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart, with sales of 57,607 copies. The song was serviced to US radio formats in late 2012 and became a sleeper hit there, gradually rising up the Billboard Hot 100 to peak at number 16, becoming Sheeran's first single on that chart. On 5 December, the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Song of the Year, Sheeran's first Grammy Award nomination. At the 2012 Brit Awards, it was nominated for Best British Single. 


Year:
2011
4:21
111 
#44

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White lips, pale face
Breathing in the snowflakes
Burnt lungs, sour taste
Light's gone, days end
Struggling to pay rent
Long nights, strange men

And they say
She's in the Class A Team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since 18
But lately, her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us

'Cause we're just under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
And she don't wanna go outside tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the motherland
Or sells love to another man
It's too cold outside
For angels to fly
Angels to fly

Ripped gloves, raincoat
Tried to swim, stay afloat
Dry house, wet clothes
Loose change, bank notes
Weary-eyed, dry throat
Call girl, no phone

And they say
She's in the Class A Team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since 18
But lately, her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us

'Cause we're just under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
But she don't wanna go outside tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the motherland
Sells love to another man
It's too cold outside
For angels to fly

An angel will die
Covered in white
Closed eyes and hopin' for a better life
This time, we'll fade out tonight
Straight down the line

And they say
She's in the Class A Team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since 18
But lately, her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
They scream
The worst things in life come free to us

And we're all under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
And we don't wanna go outside tonight
And in the pipe, fly to the motherland
Or sell love to another man
It's too cold outside
For angels to fly
Angels to fly
Fly, fly
For angels to fly, to fly, to fly
Angels to die

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Ed Sheeran

Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran (born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter and producer. He was born in Halifax, before moving to Framlingham. He learned to play guitar and started writing songs at a young age. He began recording in 2005 and moved to London in 2008 to pursue a music career. In 2009, he played 312 gigs. In early 2011, Sheeran released an independent extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project which led him to be signed to Asylum / Atlantic Records. Buoyed by the commercial breakthrough of the singles "The A Team" and "Lego House", his debut album + has been certified quintuple platinum in the United Kingdom. In 2012, he won two BRIT Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist, and British Breakthrough of… more »

171 fans

Written by: ED SHEERAN

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Creation
"A Team" was written by Ed Sheeran himself. The song represents the first time Sheeran attempted to write more exclusively about social issues.
Inspiration
The song is about a woman named Angel, a drug addict Sheeran met while volunteering at a homeless shelter. She turned to prostitution to sustain her addiction.
Release Date
"A Team" was released as the lead single from Sheeran's debut studio album '+' on 10 June 2011.
Chart Success
The song quickly became a major hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
Lyrics
Sheeran made use of unusual metaphoric language in "A Team". The metaphor "white lips, pale face" describes the woman's physical state due to her addiction.
Awards
The song was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards, where he performed the song with Elton John.
Music Video
The music video was directed by Ruskin Kyle and stars actress Selina MacDonald as the protagonist. It was released on 22 April 2011 on YouTube.
Impact
"A Team" introduced Sheeran's music to a broader international audience and established his reputation for tackling challenging themes within his lyrics.
Sales
The song has sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK and 2.4 million copies in the US by the end of 2012.
Critical Reception
The song received widespread critical acclaim. Critics praised Sheeran’s lyrics and his fresh take on the issue of addiction.

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