Lego House by Ed Sheeran is one of my favorite songs and may be one of his best. It’s a fairly simple song, but there’s definitely a few lines that bring deeper meaning, especially the title itself. I think that’s what initially caught my attention when I decided to listen to it for the first time – why the heck is this song called “lego house”?
The song is from his debut album, + (Plus), which came out in the fall of 2011. It’s one of the first songs I ever heard of his, which is what got me hooked on his music. The song is acoustic and dreamy – and somehow manages to almost carry the slightest hint of hiphop… like, very, very, slight. It has a flow to it.
I’m gonna pick up the pieces and build a Lego house
if things go wrong, we can knock it down
The opening line is packed with so much meaning – what a perfect way to start a song. The imagery of building a Lego house piece by piece is a metaphor for building a relationship one step at a time.
This is the start of a new relationship, in which everything feels so risky and fragile because it could fall apart at any moment. But instead of approaching the new relationship with cynicism, he’s looking ahead with hope, faith, and optimism. It’s knowing that a relationship might fail, and if it does, it’s not the end of the world – it’s worth the risk.
It also symbolizes building a relationship slowly and gradually, rather than rushing into it. The more that you focus on building the foundation, the stronger your future will be together. You’re taking it day by day.
My three words have two meanings, but there’s one thing on my mind
It’s all for you
This is a play on numbers. And “it’s all for you” can also be like “it’s all four you.”
The three words he’s referring to is “I love you,” of course. Okay, so by the next verse, you can already see that the relationship is progressing. And I believe that this song is about the progression of a relationship, starting from the very beginning and going on into the future.
He says that he has two meanings for “I love you.” The first meaning is more lighthearted and superficial, like when couples say “love you!” just to emphasize their bond. The second meaning goes much deeper, meaning unconditional love, which is very rare. And then it’s added that everything he does is for his partner, not for himself.
And it’s dark in a cold December
but I got you to keep me warm.
If you’re broken, I will mend ya
and I’ll keep you sheltered from the storm that’s raging on
This verse is almost like rapping, or at least singing with a sharp flow. This is what gives the melody of the song more substance and makes it stand out more than your typical acoustic song.
December is obviously a dark and cold month, and his partner is there to keep him warm. In a more metaphorical sense, the world is a dark and cold place, and her love can keep his heart warm. So, she’s there to lean on when he’s struggling.
And then the next part is reversed. He says, when she is the one who is struggling, he will be there for her to lean on. It’s not about one person taking care of the other – it’s an equal partnership, taking turns supporting one another.
I’m out of touch, I’m out of love
I’ll pick you up when you’re gettin’ down
And out of all these things I’ve done
I think I love you better now
I’m out of sight, I’m out of mind
I’ll do it all for you in time
And out of all these things I’ve done
I think I love you better now, now
In the chorus, “I’m out of touch,” means going crazy, like I’m going crazy for you. “I’m out of love” means that he has spent all of his love on her, he is giving all of his love without holding back at all.
As the relationship is progressing, he’s falling deeper in love. Taking care of his partner doesn’t bring exhaustion or resentment – just the opposite. With all of the risks, all of the time and energy, and maybe some mistakes, it’s only made them stronger.
“I’m out of sight” means that he’s focused on their love – it’s all that he can see. “I’m out of mind” is similar meaning to the first line, in that he’s going crazy for her. And then he’s saying how he wants to keep building this relationship and can see their future together.
I’m gonna paint you by numbers and color you in
If things go right, we can frame it, and put you on a wall
At this point, it feels like more time has passed, and the relationship has reached more of a stable place. There’s even more optimism here. Compared to the first verse of the song, instead of saying “if things go wrong…” it’s switched to “if things go right…” Now, instead of preparing for the worst and having some doubt, it’s allowing yourself to feel excited and that much more hopeful.
Paint-by-numbers is when you make a painting that instructs you exactly where to color. This is a metaphor for following the rules, doing what you’re supposed to do. He’s saying, I’m going to do everything right in this relationship – kindness, loyalty, protection, and so forth. If you do everything right, and it all works out, you can have a relationship that you feel proud of and want to share with the world.
And it’s so hard to say it, but I’ve been here before
Now, I’ll surrender up my heart, and swap it for yours
This is a moment of looking back on the past and admitting to yourself that you once loved someone before but it didn’t work out. You’re acknowledging that fear, from experience, that love can lead to so much pain. And when you can be honest about your fears, you can move forward with bravery.
*Back to the chorus*
Don’t hold me down
I think the braces are breaking
And it’s more than I can take
More time has passed and now it feels like things are moving fast. He’s falling so deeply that he can’t turn back. The earlier part of the song emphasizes taking things slowly, and now at this point, he’s ready to rush forward. Now that the foundation is built, he’s ready to take it to the next level.
He doesn’t want her to stop him from falling so hard – he doesn’t want her to pull back, or become distant, or give him space. In this part, he’s almost screaming, like his feelings have become so overwhelming, yet he doesn’t want to stop.
And it’s dark in a cold December
but I got you to keep me warm.
If you’re broken, I will mend ya
and I’ll keep you sheltered from the storm that’s raging on
This is a circle back to the pre-chorus. I see this as a new December, like the following year, or maybe several years from now. It’s reiterating these feelings.
*Chorus again*
I’m out of touch, I’m out of love
I’ll pick you up when you’re gettin’ down
And out of all these things I’ve done
I will love you better now
After the chorus, comes the outro, in which only the first part of the chorus is repeated. The difference is that he says “I will love you better now” instead of “I think I love you better now.” This shows that all doubt has been removed, emphasizing total confidence and assurance in this relationship.
I love how this song begins so delicately, like, “things between us might not work, but let’s go ahead and hope for the best!” And by the time you reach the end of the song, it’s a total knowing that this love is real and this relationship is going to continue growing for the rest of their lives.
Bonus – commentary on the music video: The guy in this video is actually not Ed Sheeran – it’s the guy who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies. When Ed was growing up, he was constantly compared to the actor. So, he thought it would be funny to make a music video where the actor pretends to be Ed Sheeran… by the end of it, you realize how obsessed he is. It’s really funny.
14 years later, they came together again for the “A Little More” music video. This one takes it so much further and is actually a hundred times more ridiculous! It’s hysterical.
Maybe it’s not that deep, but I feel like Ed chose this concept for the video because he didn’t want the song to become too cheesy. It could’ve been a very basic video just showing two people who are madly in love. Instead, he turned it into a creative opportunity to be clever and make people laugh. I just love how the video is nothing you’d expect it to be. I feel like that makes the song itself more pure.
Crystal Aura Gaze 
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