Ed Sheeran‘s “Old Phone” is a pop song with themes of memory, regret, and time passing. The lyrics focus on an emotional moment triggered by finding an old phone filled with reminders of past friends, breakups, and family struggles.
Below is a section-by-section breakdown of the lyrics in “Old Phone.”
- Song: Old Phone
- Artist: Ed Sheeran
- Songwriters: Ed Sheeran
- Released: 2025
- Album: Play
- Genre: Pop
What is “Old Phone” About?
Verse 1: Opening the Past
I found my old phone today
In a box that I had hidden away
He stumbles upon an old phone tucked away, forgotten but still loaded with memories.
The phone becomes a time capsule.
Nostalgia tryin’ to lead me astray
Maybe I’ll unwrite some wrongs
He’s tempted to revisit the past, maybe hoping to fix something.
The word “unwrite” shows a wish to undo pain, but it also hints at how messy memory can be. Some things can’t be erased.
I charged the battery again
Combinations ’cause my passcode had changed
That moment of struggling to remember an old passcode feels symbolic, like trying to unlock a part of himself that’s not easy to reach anymore.
Opened up and saw familiar names
Now I wonder where they’ve gone
These names hit him with the reality that many of those people aren’t part of his life anymore. It’s a quiet moment of loss.
Chorus: Loss and Distance
Conversations with my dead friends
Messages from all my exes
The word “dead” isn’t metaphorical here. Some friends have actually passed away.
The phone holds the last pieces of those relationships.
The exes remind him of love that didn’t last.
I kinda think that this was best left
In the past where it belongs
There’s tension between curiosity and pain.
He admits maybe digging through the past is doing more harm than good.
I feel an overwhelming sadness
Of all the friends I do not have left
The sadness is direct and honest.
It’s not just about death. It’s also about growing apart, losing contact, or pushing people away.
Seeing how my family has fracturеd
Growin’ up and movin’ on
This part shifts focus to family.
Things aren’t how they used to be, and growing up has come with real costs.
He isn’t just reminiscing, he’s facing what’s broken.
Verse 2: Mistakes and Self-Doubt
I found my old phone today
Arguments that I tried to keep at bay
Here the phone shows him things he tried to avoid, like fights, tension, or bad memories he never really dealt with.
It’s all coming back now.
Thе ones who loved me, I just pushed them away
Couldn’t tell the difference from the leeches
He admits to pushing away people who cared.
There’s also a fear of being used. Maybe fame made it hard to tell who was a real friend and who wasn’t (“leeches”).
My closed hand still holds some mates
But if I’m open, it gets smaller day by day
Holding on tight means keeping people, but at the cost of being emotionally closed off.
When he tries to open up, he loses people. It’s a no-win situation.
I can’t tell if it is pleasure or pain
Trying to keep within my remit
He feels torn between comfort and suffering.
The word “remit” suggests a limit he’s set for himself. He’s trying to stay within emotional boundaries, but maybe they aren’t working.
Bridge: Choosing to Let It Go
I found my old phone today
So full of love, yet so full of hate
This sums up everything. The phone holds both happy and painful memories.
Love and hate are stored side by side.
I put it back inside there from whence it came
Nothing good will come from regretting
He chooses to put the phone away again.
It’s not about forgetting. It’s about knowing that dwelling too much can pull him under. He seems to accept that he can’t change the past.
“Old Phone” Song Meaning: Memory, Regret, and Growing Apart
“Old Phone” is about the weight of past memories and lost connections. It shows how small objects, like an old phone, can hold entire lives inside them. For Sheeran, that phone isn’t just tech. It’s a link to people who are gone, relationships that ended, and family bonds that have changed.
The song also explores how fame and adulthood can make it hard to know who’s real and who’s using you. It touches on grief, guilt, and the loneliness that sometimes follows success.
“Old Phone” is about how hard it is to let go when everything we’ve been through still lives on in the background.
Songs Like “Old Phone”
Here are a few other songs that explore memory, loss, and growing apart:
1. “I Miss You” by Blink-182
“I Miss You” captures the aching silence that follows when two people drift apart. The lyrics are full of longing and regret, making it a natural fit for fans of “Old Phone.”
Related: Best Songs About Missing Someone
2. “From the Dining Table” by Harry Styles
“From the Dining Table” is a slow burn about loneliness and silence after a relationship ends. The raw tone and softer production match the heaviness in “Old Phone.”
3. “Liability” by Lorde
“Liability” explores the feeling of being too much for others and pulling away before getting hurt. Like “Old Phone,” it sits in the pain without trying to fix it.
4. “When the Party’s Over” by Billie Eilish
This track deals with emotional withdrawal and the aftermath of hurt. “When the Party’s Over” matches the unraveling found in “Old Phone.”
5. “Ghostin” by Ariana Grande
“Ghostin” tackles grief, inner conflict, and the weight of memories. The song’s soft delivery and vulnerability echo the tone of “Old Phone.”
Conclusion: Memory Hurts When You Can’t Go Back
“Old Phone” walks the line between holding on and letting go. It shows how memory can feel comforting one minute and crushing the next. It’s not just about the past; it’s about what that past still does to you.
Be sure to check out more 2020s Song Interpretations.
