Ed Sheeran has stated that if he is proven guilty of ripping off Marvin Gaye’s soul classic ‘Let’s Get It On,’ he will quit music, calling the allegations ‘insulting.’
The 32-year-old British singer-songwriter angrily refuted charges that he infringed on Gaye and co-writer Ed Townsend’s 1973 hit when he wrote and composed ‘Thinking Out Loud’ in Manhattan federal court on Monday.
He even vowed that if the jury does find him guilty, he will be ‘done’ with music
‘If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping,’ Sheeran said when asked by his attorney Ilene Farkas about the toll the trial is taking on him.
‘I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it,’ the ‘Shape of You’ singer added.
Townsend’s heirs are suing Sheeran, claiming’striking similarities’ between the songs. They are suing for $100 million in restitution.
Last week, lawyers for Townsend’s heirs presented a video of Sheeran seamlessly transitioning between ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and ‘Let’s Get it On’ during a live performance in Manhattan federal court.
They claimed that doing so amounted to a confession that he had stolen the tune.
However, Sheeran testified in court on Monday that he and other performers frequently perform’mash-ups,’ and that he had previously combined ‘Thinking Out Loud’ with Van Morrison’s ‘Crazy in Love’ and Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You.’
‘I mash up songs at lots of gigs. Many songs have similar chords. You can go from “Let It Be” to “No Woman No Cry” and switch back,’ he said.
‘And quite frankly, if I’d done what you’re accusing me of doing, I’d be quite an idiot to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people and do that,’ he added.
He also noted that his hit song was actually inspired by Irish musician Van Morrison.
To prove his point, the singer strummed the four-chord sequence he is accused of lifting from ‘Let’s Get it On,’ as part of his rendition of Morrison tracks, including ‘Tupelo Honey’ and ‘Crazy Love.’
The singer also hit out at the plaintiff’s expert witness, musicologist Alexander Stewart, who argued last week that the first 24 seconds of ‘Thinking Out Loud’ were similar to the beginning of ‘Let’s Get it On.’
Stewart said in court that they ‘have the same harmonic rhythm’ while pointing out melodic similarities in the verse, chorus and interlude.