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Ed Sheeran is known for his smash hit singles like ‘Thinking Out Loud’, ‘Shape of You’, and ‘Perfect’. But he’s also known for a (literally) more colourful side of him: his tattoos! Ed Sheeran’s tattoos have been subject of a lot of controversy, with some loving his taste in art and some thinking that he’s taken it way too far.
Still, this ginger ninja has been quite candid about his tattoos and the stories behind them. With over 60 tattoos and counting, he definitely has a lot of stories to tell! Let’s take a look at some of Ed Sheeran’s most interesting tattoos and the memorable moments and fascinating people that inspired them.
RELATED: 11 Interesting Facts About Ed Sheeran’s Wife Cherry Seaborn
How Many Tattoos Does Ed Sheeran Have?
It isn’t quite clear exactly how many tattoos Ed Sheeran has, but we do have an idea: The hit singer has around 60 to 100 different tattoos all over his arms and torso! MTV has even made Ed Sheeran’s tattoos as a map that you can click on and explore!
Most of Ed’s tattoos were done by celebrity tattoo artist Kevin Paul, who’s also inked singers Rihanna and Harry Styles. Ed has reportedly spent over 40 hours in the span of 12 months just getting inked! It also doesn’t seem like Ed’s finished, as he seems to have plans of commemorating more things through tattoos.
Where Are Ed Sheeran’s Tattoos?
If you’ve seen Ed’s music video for his hit song ‘Shape of You’, you know that his arms and torso are practically filled with tattoos. However, there are places that Ed vows to never get tattooed: his face, neck, and hands. Apparently, it’s because he wants to keep a clean-cut look for his wedding!
In an interview with The Sun, Ed says: “You will never see them in a suit. I want to get married and look great. But if I hadn’t have got them out in this music video then no one would know I even had them.”
With that said, Ed ended up getting married to Cherry Seaborn in an extremely small and private ceremony in early 2018, so maybe we might see a neck tattoo in the future!
What Are Ed Sheeran’s Tattoos And Their Meanings?
Ed Sheeran’s tattoos all have meaning! Even their placement means something: he’s reserved his right arm for images related to his personal life, while his left arm is for career accomplishments. Here are some of his tattoos and the stories behind them:
Heinz Ketchup Logo
Ed loves ketchup – so much so that he got his favourite Heinz inked on him! He got that tatt all the way back in 2012, but only this year, the famous ketchup brand collaborated with the singer to release limited edition bottles! These are up for auction, with proceeds going to Rise Against Hunger and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Three-Leaf Clover
The three-leaf clover coloured in as Ireland’s flag is a tribute to Ed’s grandad and their Irish roots.
Three Boxing Gloves
It seems that Ed was quite close to his grandad because right beside the three-leaf clover is yet another tribute to him: three boxing gloves! His grandad was a boxer, thus the boxing gloves. But why are there three of them? Apparently, they represent each of his first sold-out shows in Madison Square Garden!
Damien Rice Autograph
When Ed was 11 years old, he met his idol Damien Rice and got his autograph! He got a replica of it inked on his left forearm to commemorate his favourite singer.
Lego Head
One of Ed Sheeran’s most famous hit songs is ‘Lego House’, and he paid tribute to his success by having it tattooed on his left arm! He first revealed this tattoo when on a visit to Legoland in California back in 2013.
Lyrics
Ed doesn’t just stick to symbols and images, but words too. As a singer, it makes sense that he has plenty of lyrics tattooed on him! One of the most well-known ones is the “everything that happens is from now on” from Bon Iver’s song ‘Re: Stacks’. Fun fact: The tattoo is actually in Bon Iver’s writing!
Ed also has another lyric tattoo on his right bicep: “nuair is gá dom fháil bhaile, is tú mo réalt eolais”. This is the Gaelic translation of another of his favourite lyrics: “when I need to get home, you’re my guiding light” from Foy Vance’s ‘Guiding Light’.
Paw Print
The very first tattoo that Ed got was “for no real reason” when he was only 18 years old.
Lion
One of Ed’s newer tattoos is also one of his most controversial ones: the infamous lion. This massive tattoo takes up almost his entire chest! Some people actually mistook it for a tiger when Ed posted some photos of the tattoo in its earlier stages. The reception to this tattoo, in particular, is super polarising, with some people who absolutely love it and some who hate it.
Ed Sheeran’s Future Tattoos
Ed Sheeran’s colourful sleeves have become one of his most unique and identifying features, but there is still a space that he purposefully left blank. One of his tattoos is a string of puzzle pieces that represent his closest friends, but it isn’t complete yet – it’s reserved for the love of his life, Cherry! While Ed and Cherry have already officially tied the knot, we have yet to see if he’s already filled in that special spot.
His arms might be quite full, but who knows – he might end up rocking some leg tattoos too! Ed still has plenty of awesome people to meet and memorable moments ahead of him, so we’re definitely excited to see what new tattoos he gets down the line.
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