Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, Ed Sheeran, gave a surprise performance on the witness stand during a copyright infringement trial in Manhattan federal court.
The lawsuit, filed by the heirs of Ed Townsend, co-writer of the Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On,” alleges that Sheeran’s 2014 hit song “Thinking Out Loud” borrowed from the 1973 soul classic without permission.
During his testimony, Sheeran briefly sang the original lyrics of “Thinking Out Loud” and played the guitar, providing the jury with an impromptu performance.
He also testified that he writes most of his songs in a day and did not intentionally copy elements from “Let’s Get It On” when composing “Thinking Out Loud.”
Sheeran co-wrote the song with singer-songwriter, Amy Wadge, and they wrote it in February 2014 at Sheeran’s home. Sheeran said that the inspiration for the song came from the passing of his grandfather and his grandmother’s illness, as well as love at an advanced age.
Sheeran and Wadge wrote the song collaboratively, with Wadge strumming the chords that inspired Sheeran to come up with the melody.
Sheeran told the court, “We sat guitar to guitar. We wrote together quite a lot.”
He recalled coming out of the shower and hearing Wadge in another part of the house strumming chords.
“I remember thinking we have to do something with that,” Sheeran said.
Sheeran said it took “really not that long” to write.
“Amy definitely started strumming the chords,” Sheeran said. “It’s a collaboration.”
The trial will resume on Monday after adjourning for the week. Sheeran, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Publishing were sued by Townsend’s heirs in 2017.
Sheeran previously won a copyright infringement case involving his hit song “Shape of You,” while Gaye’s heirs won a case in 2015 against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams involving “Got to Give it Up.”