The A Team

Ed Sheeran

About The 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
4:18
135 
#1

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

White lips, pale face
Breathing in snowflakes
Burnt lungs, sour taste

Lights 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 eighteen
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 want to 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, for angels to fly

Ripped gloves, raincoat
Tried to swim and 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 eighteen
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 want to go outside, tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the motherland
Or sells love to another man
Its too cold outside
For angels to fly
An angel will die
Covered in white
Closed eye
And hoping 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 eighteen
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 under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
And we don't want to 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
To fly, fly
For angels to fly, to fly, to fly
Angels to die

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com


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 »

173 fans

Written by: ED SHEERAN

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


15 facts about this song

Song Inspiration
"The A Team" was inspired by Ed Sheeran's experience when he visited a homeless shelter and met a girl named Angel.
Composition
The song is composed in the key of A major. It contains a tempo of 86 beats per minute.
Initial Release
"The A Team" was initially released as a digital download on 10 June 2011.
Debut Single
This song was Ed Sheeran's debut single.
Album Placement
"The A Team" is also the opening track on his debut studio album "+", released in 2011.
Chart Success
In the UK, the song peaked at number three on the singles chart; Sheeran's first top ten hit.
Grammy Nod
Ed Sheeran was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards for "The A Team".
Worldwide Success
This song has topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland, and reached the top ten in several other countries.
Critical Acclaim
The song has received widespread critical acclaim for its lyrics and Sheeran's vocal performance.
Multi-Platinum Status
"The A Team" has achieved multi-platinum status in both the UK and Australia.
Music Video
The music video for "The A Team" has received over 300 million views on YouTube.
Heartfelt Lyrics
The lyrics tell the sad story of a girl addicted to drugs, struggling to make ends meet on cold city streets — a gritty and heartfelt tale.
Song Title
The song's title, "The A Team," refers to class A drugs, which is the term given to the most harmful drugs under UK law.
Broad Impact
Shifting the conversation on social issues, "The A Team" brought a significant impact to the music industry, and the issues in its lyrics.
Accolades
Ed Sheeran won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "The A Team". This is a major accomplishment, as the Ivor Novello Awards are some of the most prestigious in the UK's songwriting industry.

Discuss the The A Team Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The A Team Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/28810307/Ed+Sheeran/The+A+Team>.

    Missing lyrics by Ed Sheeran?

    Know any other songs by Ed Sheeran? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    The A Team

    349.7M
    1.5M     37,670

    Top Hot 100 Songs 2013

    Billboard #16


    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    Where did the band Lynyrd Skynyrd originate?
    A Florida
    B Georgia
    C Texas
    D Alabama

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss Ed Sheeran's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    Ed Sheeran tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!