What does Save Myself mean?

Ed Sheeran: Save Myself Meaning

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Album cover for Save Myself album cover

Song Released: 2017


Get "Save Myself" on MP3: Get MP3 from iTunes

Save Myself Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I gave all my oxygen to people that could breathe
I gave away my money and now we don’t even speak
I drove miles and miles, but would you do the same for me?
Oh, honestly?
Offered off my shoulder just for you to cry upon
Gave you...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 28th 2017 !⃝

    Its about Ed and anyone else who does this.

    He's a good guy with a giant heart. He hates to see others hurting. Sometimes that causes him to give too much of himself so he has nothing left and he gets "burned out" in a sense. Now he needs to step back from "rescuing a stranger just because they needed saving" or step back from helping everyone ever to feel pain so he can focus on himself and his own healing. "Before I save someone else (before I save another person) let me save myself (I have to worry about myself and make sure I'm okay).

    He said in an interview, "every woman needs to hear this song because I think a lot of people, but a lot of times especially women, tend to get into the habit of giving too much of themselves"

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 30th 2017 !⃝

    I think this song is about how Ed dealing with other people in his life. Like, many people took advantage of him because of his popularity or that he feels that his kindness has not been paid with the same amount of kindness by others

    As evidenced here:
    "I gave all my oxygen to people that could breathe
    I gave away my money and now we don't even speak
    They gave me the heartache and in return I gave a song"

    Somehow he realized that he has been used, he knows all about this so he chose to resort to drink and pills, but he just can't change the way thing is because it's his nature so he made a little confession in this song

    "My dad was wrong
    'Cause I'm not like my mum
    'Cause she'd just smile and I'm complaining in a song"

    but i still can't quite get the meaning of 'save myself' itself, maybe he made some sort of promise to himself that he will try to accept himself, treat, and love himself better more from now on.. idk, but one thing which is clear that he has made a resolution regarding this problem and he is about to change

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 24th 2017 !⃝

    OK - Q.. has anyone ever thought that maybe Ed singing the song as Jesus - modern Jesus, not historic/biblical. looking at the world and lamenting the state of the world that he died to save? re-read with this perspective and it can fit

    NOTE: he sang supermarket flowers as his mother and galway girl is pure fiction so he has 'form' for being other people in his songs)

    (PS: I am NOT in anyway religious - just an interpretation)

  4. anonymous
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    Sep 3rd 2020 !⃝

    its just a way of saying he is tired of being used over and over again even if he can't help it, he also explained that in this family , his mother was heart broken yet his mother coped with everything with a smile , his father abused him and said he was just like his mother, he overtrusted people and people took advantage of it

  5. anonymous
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    Aug 4th 2019 !⃝

    This beautiful song speaks to all the Empaths out there that are programmed to help others at all cost to the detriment of themselves. We empaths have to learn to love and help themselves before they can be there for others. A difficult thing to do.

  6. anonymous
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    Jun 3rd 2018 !⃝

    https://www.bustle.com/p/ed-sheerans-save-myself-is-a-song-that-every-woman-needs-to-listen-to-42069

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 14th 2018 !⃝

    The song is a perfect match for a person growing up in a dysfunctional family,or living with an addicted person. The person next to them develops a sever codependancy. Insane control issues, crazy needs to help. Doing things for a person never giving the help back. There is bo understanding that the help is wasted and not returned. This codependancy is extremely easy transferable to other people and situations. Hence trying to help people not needing help (give oxygen to people who can breath), all they way to helping anyone with anything: Helping a stranger.
    The codependancy destroys the person. The value. It's love for oneself.
    Need to help myself before helping others is the key issue among relatives to alcoholics. And finally realize I can't live anyone else if I don't live myself.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 11th 2018 !⃝

    This song sounds like a cry for help for depressed people. I think that he's saying he will treat people better than he treats himself. Ed Sheeran is known for having a big heart, and my interpretation (and this is a stetch) is that he self harmed/attemted suicide to stop the pain. When he's saying that "I've got to save myself" Ed's meaning that he can't help people thtough their struggles until he knows how to solve his own.

  9. snu
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    Nov 28th 2017 !⃝

    I think its about suicide and giving up on life.

  10. anonymous
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    Nov 18th 2017 !⃝

    My thoughts on 'between the devil and the danger' are that the devil is someone who has hurt the singer before and will again. The danger is what he's protecting that person from.

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 31st 2017 !⃝

    "Between the devil and the danger" means kind of like the saying between a rock and a hard place. No matter what choice he makes; continuing to help the people who hurt him or leaving them and ignoring their requests and problems, he will still be hurt. If he keeps giving in and and being taken advantage of it will keep hurting him in the same way but if he stops and ignores the people it will make him feel kind of useless. It's just who he is, hes kind so he feels like he has to help so if he doesn't he would feel bad against himself. Either choice he makes he would be hurt: "devil and the danger"

  12. anonymous
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    Aug 17th 2017 !⃝

    Can anyone tell me what they think about the part of the song where he says "I'm here again, between the devil and the danger"
    I really need to know what it means

  13. anonymous
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    Jun 16th 2017 !⃝

    why does it have to be about him yes he was one fo the writers but he is singing about life and what good hearted people do...it is about me too and i did not write nor sing it...

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 11th 2017 !⃝

    He wants to love people, but sometimes if you don't get any feedback, you'll get tired of doing the right thing. So, "Before I save someone else, I got to save myself." Love is the whole point of life, but sometimes, time will defeat us and we'll get tired.

  15. anonymous
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    Mar 29th 2017 !⃝

    I think that this about a breakup, someone he has loved and been compassionate and given his heart to. When it is over, he reflects on how this is too common while sitting at home or in a bar with a drink.

  16. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 29th 2017 !⃝

    I think that this about a breakup, someone he has loved and been compassionate and given his heart to. When it is over, he reflects on how this is too common while sitting at home or in a bar with a drink.

  17. anonymous
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    Mar 27th 2017 !⃝

    That the song talks about being used and worn down by looking out for everyone else around you but not takin time to look after yourself. Suggestion that it wears you down so much if might affect your mental health


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