Ed Sheeran can personally thank me for helping him break a record on Friday for the number of streams for his new songs “Castle On The Hill” and “Shape of You”. Both had over 6 million streams, the later song, close to 7 million. I was one of the ones that played “Castle on The Hill” incessantly. Again and again, in a controlled, but slightly manic manner, until I knew the words.

As I posted on Facebook on Friday, the lines below made me laugh out loud:

We’d buy cheap spirits and drink them straight

Me and my friends have not thrown up in so long, oh how we’ve grown

I think it was the trueness in those lines, the realness of them that both made me laugh and hooked me.  We all have a point where we felt we were grown – real adults. Some imaginary line in the sand that we’ve drawn for ourselves. Mine was when I could afford to buy furniture that didn’t need to be put together. Didn’t mean I didn’t buy that kind of furniture (ok, IKEA) anymore, just that I had a choice. That to me, was adulthood.

Ed is younger than me by a few years or so (I’m being kind to myself here) but he’s captured that longing that I thought you only got as you aged. Maybe, with his crazy schedule, he’s felt it earlier than most.

I’m one of those people who still have friends from early childhood. Long before social media I managed to keep up with them. As Ed says “…these people raised me” and that’s how I feel about those guys. No time or distance alters those relationships. Sure we don’t see each other all the time but truthfully, once together, it’s like old times. I think that’s why I loved this song so. It takes me home. Takes me back and I know exactly the feeling he’s talking about and there’s little to compare to it.

But these people raised me

And I can’t wait to go home