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The A Team is a song by Ed Sheeran which appears as the first track from his debut album +. The song serves as his lead single from the album.

Background and release[]

"'The A Team' came from an experience I had when I did a gig at a homeless shelter", says Sheeran of the song. "I was 18 at the time and kind of quite naïve. So, I was a bit taken aback by some of the stories that I heard. I got home that night and I just wrote a lot of the lyrics. I wanted to write it so it sounded kind of upbeat, so you wouldn't really know what it's about, because it's quite a dark subject." In a video interview with Billboard, Sheeran explained the song's title. "A drug like crack cocaine is called a 'Class A drug'. That's in the same category as heroin. Instead of making it clear and just saying what the problem was, I'd say, 'She's in the 'Class A' team.' It was kind of my way of covering up (a person's addiction), I guess, making it a bit more subtle." The single was released 1 May 2011, in the UK through Atlantic Records. In U.S. "The A Team" was serviced to radio format Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) on 27 February 2012. [1]

Critical Reception[]

"The A Team" has received critical acclaim by music critics. Ryan Reed from Billboard praised the songwriting and musical composition writing, "the song is a dark yet overwhelmingly tuneful slice of jazz-folk. Built on palm-muted guitars and a simmering string arrangement, Sheeran chronicles a young girl's descent into an endless web of drug addiction and prostitution: "Stuck in her daydream… Lately, her face seems slowly sinking, wasting, crumbling like pastries," he sings. A songwriting prodigy—he released his first two albums while still in high school—and up-and-coming phenom in his native Britain, Sheeran has an unflinching eye for subtle details and colorful imagery, and his music is full of soulful vocal runs and patient atmosphere. Although the subject matter of "The A Team" isn't exactly radio-friendly, the hook sure is." [2]

Chart Performance[]

The track made its debut on the UK Singles Chart at number three on 19 June 2011 – entering as the second highest new entry behind Calvin Harris and Kelis' "Bounce", which debuted at number two. After being serviced to radio formats in U.S., the song made its first American chart entry on Billboard's component Adult Pop Songs at number thirty-eight. It also debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since peaked at number 16, becoming his first top 20 hit on the chart. It also peaked at 29 on the Canadian Hot 100. [3]

Music Video[]

The video was uploaded to YouTube on 22 April 2010. It was shot and edited by Ruskin Kyle.

Synopsis[]

TBA Reception

TBA

Credits[]

  • Director: Ruskin Kyle
  • Producer: Jake Gosling
  • Cinematographer: Ruskin Kyle
  • Production company: Rivers Rush Video Production Company

Remixes[]

Lyrics[]


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

Light's gone, day's 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
Angels to fly

Ripped gloves, raincoat
Tried to swim and stay float
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
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
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
I love don't live in a few years ago when I get a follow back on my way to the point where
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
Go mad for a couple grams
And we don't want to go outside tonight

And in a pipe we fly to the Motherland
Or sell love to another man
It's too cold outside

For angels to fly r the same time thing t to rbe and the other day hand in hand and
Angels to fly
To fly, fly
For angels to fly, to fly, to fly
Or angels to die

Audio[]

Click here to listen to it on Deezer

  1. wikipedia.org - Background and release
  2. wikipedia.org - Reception
  3. wikipedia.org - Performance


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