On Friday, Ed Sheeran finally dropped his fourth studio album, =. The LP arrived alongside a music video for his latest single, “Overpass Graffiti,” an ‘80s synth-pop-inspired song about struggling to let go after a breakup. The Jason Koenig-directed clip follows Sheeran as he joins a group of van lifers on a wild road trip across the desert.
Since its release, “Overpass Graffiti” has hovered in the Top 20 on Genius’ Top Songs chart. The song also has a shot of taking the top spot on U.K. Singles chart for the week of October 31. If it does, it’ll mark the the third single off = to accomplish the feat, following “Shivers” and “Bad Habits.”
Sheeran co-wrote and co-produced the “Overpass Graffiti” with Johnny McDaid and Fred again…, who is credited with suggesting the song’s high-energy tempo. “Originally, this song was a power ballad, it was very slow,” Sheeran revealed. “Then Fred said, ‘Have you ever thought about making it double time?’ It gave it new life.” The song is about the lasting impact a past relationship can have on someone. “You still hold on to the memory of that and it will never fade, like graffiti on the overpass,” Sheeran explained.
In the first verse, Sheeran battles loneliness in the aftermath of a breakup.
Photographs in sepia tones
It’s so still, the fire’s barely fighting the cold alone
There are times when I can feel your ghost
Just when I’m almost letting you go
Sheeran promises never to forget what once was on the chorus.
I will always love you for what it’s worth
We’ll never fade like graffiti on the overpass
in the second verse, he acknowledges the relationship wasn’t perfect, comparing its demise to the experience of getting stranded out in the cold.
The car was stuck, the engine stalled
And both of us got caught out in the snow alone
But in the end, the highs will always outweigh the lows for Sheeran, who vows to never let go on the song’s bridge.
Lost on me
Baby, you will never be lost on me
Lost on me
If “Overpass Graffiti” debuts at #1 this week, Sheeran will likely hold three of the Top 5 spots in the U.K., with “Shivers” and “Bad Habits” expected to chart at #2 and #5, respectively.
You can read all of the lyrics to “Overpass Graffiti” on Genius now.
