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The Music Blog: Ed Sheeran Performs ‘Thinking Out Loud’ in Court to Prove Innocence in Song Lawsuit

Grammy-winning British singer, Ed Sheeran, recently performed on the witness stand in court to prove his innocence in a lawsuit filed by the heirs of Ed Townsend, co-writer of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’. The lawsuit, initially filed in 2017, alleges that Sheeran’s hit song, ‘Thinking Out Loud’, bears “striking similarities” to the 1973 soul classic.

To prove his innocence, Sheeran played the chord progression of ‘Thinking Out Loud’ in Manhattan federal court and sang the song’s opening words: “When your legs don’t work like they used to.”

Ed Sheeran testified that the song was written at his home in England with co-writer Amy Wadge, and was inspired by his grandparents’ love, his grandfather’s recent death, and a romantic relationship he started in 2014.

Ed Sheeran, who writes up to nine songs a day, draws inspiration from his life and family. “When I write vocal melodies, it’s like phonetics,” he said.

He had previously stated that he would have to be an “idiot” to rip off Gaye’s song and perform it for thousands of fans.

The trial is expected to resume next Monday, and if found guilty, the trial will enter a second phase to determine the amount Sheeran owes.

It’s important to note that lawsuits of this nature are not uncommon in the music industry. As noted by Billboard, “Copyright infringement lawsuits can be incredibly costly and time-consuming, but they are also increasingly common in the music industry as artists and their teams seek to protect their intellectual property.”

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