Day 9 - Shape of you

I’ve always wanted to see Ed Sheeran in concert. I think I missed a real opportunity this week. I’ve heard tickets to his concerts can go for £60, £80 or even £100 a time. And yet, at the High Court in London this week I could have seen him perform for free!

Ed Sheeran has serenaded London's High Court in an attempt to prove he did not copy portions of his 2017 hit Shape of You from another artist.

The star is accused of lifting his song's "Oh I, oh I, oh I" hook from Sami Chokri's 2015 single Oh Why.

In court, he sang elements of Nina Simone's Feeling Good and Blackstreet's No Diggity to illustrate how the melody is commonplace in pop music.

This isn’t the first time that Ed’s found himself in hot water. The estate of the late Marvin Gaye is still pursuing Ed over the claim that his song “Thinking Out Loud” takes large chunks of the Gaye mega-hit “Let’s Get It On” in its composition.

Ed Sheeran is not the first to fall foul of this claim, and no doubt he won’t be the last either. Did you know that in 1967 The Beatles had to pay part of the royalties of their hit “All you need is love” to estate of the late Glenn Miller for sampling his recording of “In the mood”?

We might see similar influences in books, stage plays, art, recipes, architecture or fashion. It’s sometimes difficult not to be inspired by those we admire, sometimes even to the point of imitation.

I love the saying: “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken!” It’s often attributed to Oscar Wilde, but there’s no proof he did actually said those words. It reminds me of the magnificent Psalm 139, which says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Fearfully and wonderfully made by God, unique and special, delightfully equipped and gifted to live a life of service and devotion to God. There’s no need to imitate others, make ourselves slaves to the latest fashion or fad, simply be content with who we are.

Another of Ed Sheeran’s mega-hits is “Perfect”, a song inspired by a moment shared with his wife-to-be in Ibiza. Having just heard the song again I think it’s very Song-of-Songs-esque:

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song

I have faith in what I see

Now I know I have met an angel in person

And she looks perfect

I don't deserve this

You look perfect tonight

God created us as his children, and whilst we still might have one or two rough edges to us, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we look perfect to God.

Gracious God, thank you for all your blessings to me, my family and my friends; for the strength you give me each day and for all the people around me who make life more meaningful. Amen.

Neil Chappell