Ed Sheeran ‘Small Bump’

Ed Sheeran is known for his magical hands, which strum the chords of our hearts and fuels us with many emotions.  ‘Small Bump’ is no different; it is a touching tale of the tragic journey to parenthood.

‘Small bump’ starts by Ed Sheeran sharing emotions of love and compassion with the listeners, the excitement that comes with parenthood. We smiled as he smiled at the though of the exciting journey of parenthood. We laughed as we thought about how his baby might look, whether he would the singer’s hair or the mother’s eyes. 

The song ending takes a tragic turn as the listeners find out that the baby has been ‘torn from life.’ The songwriter grieves the loss of his child and through his portrayal of his baby’s departure as being ‘torn’ from life by God, it is evident that the songwriter holds feelings animosity and blames God for his pain. This vivid image evokes emotions of sadness: an innocent child aggressively torn from the hands of his loving parents.

I personally have never experienced the attachment a parent feels towards his/her child; I don’t understand the eternal selflessness and love that parent are capable of. However, Ed Sheeran has crafted a tale in which he took us through the events of loving and expecting an unborn child and then grieving the child’s loss.  

You were just a small bump unborn, in four months you're brought to life

You might be left with my hair, but you'll have your mother's eyes

I'll hold your body in my hands be as gentle as I can

And now your scan on my unmade plans

Small bump, in four months you're brought to life

I'll hold you tightly, I'll give you nothing but truth

If you're not inside me, I'll put my future in you

You are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

Oh you are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

And you'll be alright

You're just a small bump unknown and you'll grow into your skin

With a smile like hers and a dimple beneath your chin

(Oh) Finger nails the size of a half grain of rice

And eyelids closed to be soon opened wide a small bump

In four months you'll open your eyes

I'll hold you tightly, I'll give you nothing but truth

If you're not inside me, I'll put my future in you

You are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

Oh you are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

And you'll be alright

You can lie with me, with your tiny feet when your half asleep

I'll leave you be

Right in front of me for a couple weeks

So I can keep you safe

'Cause you are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

Oh you are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

And you'll be alright

You were just a small bump unborn, for four months then torn from life

Maybe you were needed up there but we're still unaware as why