Ed Sheeran has threatened to quit music if he loses a copyright battle over claims that he stole material for a hit song from the Marvin Gaye classic Let’s Get It On.
The British singer-songwriter told a New York court it is “really insulting” to be accused of ripping off another musical artist. And he insisted other musicians are backing him, fearing they too will be sued over their songs.
Confronted with the idea of losing the legal battle, Sheeran replied: “‘If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping.”
The 32-year-old Grammy winner is being sued by the family of songwriter Ed Townsend, who co-created the 1973 soul classic Let’s Get It On with Gaye.
They are seeking damages, alleging Sheeran and co-writer Amy Wadge stole chord progressions for their 2014 hit Thinking Out Loud.
In the witness box, Sheeran ridiculed the evidence of a musicologist who used computer-generated versions of the two songs to highlight alleged similarities.
“I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it,” he said.
Sheeran claimed the songs had been altered for the proceedings to make them appear more similar, telling jurors: “If I have to be honest, what he’s doing here is criminal — I don’t know why he’s allowed to be an expert.”
The Shape of You star has sung and played the guitar during his evidence, demonstrating how popular songs are often mixed as “mash-ups”.
The claimants have shown a video from a Sheeran concert in Zurich, claiming it is a “smoking gun” as the singer mixes his own music with the Gaye classic.
But Sheeran told the court he regularly blends songs with similar chords to “spice it up a bit” at concerts.
“If it’s a love song, you might mash it up with another love song,” he said, suggesting Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love would also work well with Thinking Out Loud.
He also said other performers are grateful he is standing up to the court claim and added: “When you write songs, somebody comes after you”. The trial continues.
