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♪ I found my old phone today ♪ 00:02
♪ In a box that I had hidden away ♪ 00:06
♪ Nostalgia trying to lead me astray ♪ 00:10
♪ Maybe I'll unwrite some wrongs ♪ 00:14
♪ I charged the battery again ♪ 00:19
♪ Combinations cos my passcode had changed ♪ 00:23
♪ Opened up and saw familiar names ♪ 00:27
♪ Now I wonder where they've gone ♪ 00:32
♪ Conversations with my dead friends ♪ 00:36
♪ Messages from all my exes ♪ 00:41
♪ I kind of think that this was best left ♪ 00:45
♪ In the past where it belongs ♪ 00:50
♪ I feel an overwhelming sadness ♪ 00:54
♪ Of all the friends I do not have left ♪ 00:58
♪ Seeing how my family has fractured ♪ 01:03
♪ Growing up and moving on ♪ 01:07
♪ I found my old phone today ♪ 01:13
♪ Arguments that I tried to keep at bay ♪ 01:16
♪ The ones who loved me I just pushed them away ♪ 01:21
♪ Couldn't tell the difference from the leeches ♪ 01:25
♪ My closed hand still holds some mates ♪ 01:30
♪ But if I'm open it gets smaller day by day ♪ 01:34
♪ I can't tell if it is pleasure or pain ♪ 01:38
♪ Trying to keep within my remit... ♪ 01:43
Yeah, I want to see him! Come out here, Ed. 01:45
♪ Conversations with my dead friends ♪ 01:48
♪ Messages from all my exes ♪ 01:52
♪ I kind of think that this was best left ♪ 01:56
♪ There in the past where it belongs ♪ 02:00
♪ I feel an overwhelming sadness ♪ 02:05
♪ Of all the friends I do not have left ♪ 02:10
♪ Seeing how my family has fractured ♪ 02:14
♪ Growing up and moving on ♪ 02:19
♪ Hoo-ooh ♪ 02:24
Ah, the video that I submitted 02:26
is a video of our two girls. 02:28
They are two of five. 02:31
These two are on this side of heaven 02:34
the other three are on the other side. 02:36
I think in the video I sent 02:37
our oldest was about to turn 12 and our youngest was four. 02:39
And they were just goofing off and just being sisters. 02:43
And that was it. 02:46
I ended up submitting a video 02:49
of my friends and I playing in the snow at midnight 02:51
two days after my long-term boyfriend and I had broken up. 02:54
Like, I'm happy now 02:58
and I think that's, like, the most important thing. 03:00
And I hope that he's happy too. 03:03
The video is me and my grandmother dancing 03:06
at a wedding. She had so much life, 03:09
so much joy in her heart and her spirit. 03:11
And we're just moving around 03:13
like it's just us two in the world. 03:14
And I miss her. 03:16
She passed away a couple of years ago, but she's amazing. 03:18
[WOMAN]: It was really cool... 03:22
to watch that and to be able to just share with him 03:25
some of our stories. 03:29
That was nice. 03:30
[AUDIENCE CHEERS] 03:33
♪ I found my old phone today ♪ 03:35
♪ So full of love ♪ 03:39
♪ Yet so full of hate ♪ 03:40
♪ I put it back inside there from whence it came ♪ 03:43
♪ Nothing good will come from regretting ♪ 03:47
♪ Conversations with my dead friends ♪ 03:52
♪ Messages from all my exes ♪ 03:56
♪ I kind of think that this was best left ♪ 04:01
♪ There in the past where it belongs ♪ 04:05
♪ I feel an overwhelming sadness ♪ 04:09
♪ Of all the friends I do not have left ♪ 04:14
♪ Seeing how my family has fractured ♪ 04:18
♪ Growing up and moving on ♪ 04:23
♪ I found my old phone today ♪ 04:28
Thank you. - [AUDIENCE CHEERS] 04:32
I wanted to just make it feel 04:40
like the song does, which is... 04:42
yeah, raw, stripped back 04:45
emotional, nostalgic and special. 04:47

Old Phone – English Lyrics

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By
Ed Sheeran
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Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotion of Ed Sheeran's "Old Phone." This poignant ballad offers a unique opportunity to explore the nuances of English through heartfelt storytelling, relatable themes of nostalgia and loss, and Sheeran's signature stripped-back acoustic style. Learn how simple, everyday objects can hold profound meaning and how to articulate complex emotions in a beautiful and accessible way.

[English]
♪ I found my old phone today ♪
♪ In a box that I had hidden away ♪
♪ Nostalgia trying to lead me astray ♪
♪ Maybe I'll unwrite some wrongs ♪
♪ I charged the battery again ♪
♪ Combinations cos my passcode had changed ♪
♪ Opened up and saw familiar names ♪
♪ Now I wonder where they've gone ♪
♪ Conversations with my dead friends ♪
♪ Messages from all my exes ♪
♪ I kind of think that this was best left ♪
♪ In the past where it belongs ♪
♪ I feel an overwhelming sadness ♪
♪ Of all the friends I do not have left ♪
♪ Seeing how my family has fractured ♪
♪ Growing up and moving on ♪
♪ I found my old phone today ♪
♪ Arguments that I tried to keep at bay ♪
♪ The ones who loved me I just pushed them away ♪
♪ Couldn't tell the difference from the leeches ♪
♪ My closed hand still holds some mates ♪
♪ But if I'm open it gets smaller day by day ♪
♪ I can't tell if it is pleasure or pain ♪
♪ Trying to keep within my remit... ♪
Yeah, I want to see him! Come out here, Ed.
♪ Conversations with my dead friends ♪
♪ Messages from all my exes ♪
♪ I kind of think that this was best left ♪
♪ There in the past where it belongs ♪
♪ I feel an overwhelming sadness ♪
♪ Of all the friends I do not have left ♪
♪ Seeing how my family has fractured ♪
♪ Growing up and moving on ♪
♪ Hoo-ooh ♪
Ah, the video that I submitted
is a video of our two girls.
They are two of five.
These two are on this side of heaven
the other three are on the other side.
I think in the video I sent
our oldest was about to turn 12 and our youngest was four.
And they were just goofing off and just being sisters.
And that was it.
I ended up submitting a video
of my friends and I playing in the snow at midnight
two days after my long-term boyfriend and I had broken up.
Like, I'm happy now
and I think that's, like, the most important thing.
And I hope that he's happy too.
The video is me and my grandmother dancing
at a wedding. She had so much life,
so much joy in her heart and her spirit.
And we're just moving around
like it's just us two in the world.
And I miss her.
She passed away a couple of years ago, but she's amazing.
[WOMAN]: It was really cool...
to watch that and to be able to just share with him
some of our stories.
That was nice.
[AUDIENCE CHEERS]
♪ I found my old phone today ♪
♪ So full of love ♪
♪ Yet so full of hate ♪
♪ I put it back inside there from whence it came ♪
♪ Nothing good will come from regretting ♪
♪ Conversations with my dead friends ♪
♪ Messages from all my exes ♪
♪ I kind of think that this was best left ♪
♪ There in the past where it belongs ♪
♪ I feel an overwhelming sadness ♪
♪ Of all the friends I do not have left ♪
♪ Seeing how my family has fractured ♪
♪ Growing up and moving on ♪
♪ I found my old phone today ♪
Thank you. - [AUDIENCE CHEERS]
I wanted to just make it feel
like the song does, which is...
yeah, raw, stripped back
emotional, nostalgic and special.

Key Vocabulary

Start Practicing
Vocabulary Meanings

found

/faʊnd/

A2
  • verb
  • - to discover something after searching for it

hidden

/ˈhɪd.ən/

B1
  • verb
  • - to keep out of sight
  • adjective
  • - not visible or accessible

charge

/tʃɑːrdʒ/

B2
  • verb
  • - to supply electricity to a device

familiar

/fəˈmɪl.jər/

B1
  • adjective
  • - well known from prior experience

messages

/ˈmɛs.ɪdʒɪz/

A2
  • noun
  • - text or voice data sent electronically

exes

/ˈɛgz/

B2
  • noun
  • - former romantic partners

friends

/frɛndz/

A1
  • noun
  • - people with whom one has a bond of mutual affection

fractured

/ˈfræk.tʃərd/

B2
  • verb
  • - to break or crack

growing

/ˈɡroʊ.ɪŋ/

B1
  • verb
  • - to increase in size or amount

move

/muːv/

A2
  • verb
  • - to change position or go in a new direction

moving

/ˈmuː.vɪŋ/

B1
  • verb
  • - to change position

break

/breɪk/

A2
  • verb
  • - to cause something to separate into pieces

pain

/peɪn/

A2
  • noun
  • - physical or emotional suffering

What does “found” mean in the song "Old Phone"?

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Key Grammar Structures

  • I found my old phone today

    ➔ Simple past tense

    ➔ The verb 'found' is in the simple past tense, indicating a completed action in the past.

  • Maybe I'll unwrite some wrongs

    ➔ Future simple with 'will'

    ➔ 'I'll' is a contraction for 'I will', indicating a future intention to perform an action.

  • Arguments that I tried to keep at bay

    ➔ Past simple with relative clause

    ➔ The phrase uses a relative clause ('that I tried to keep at bay') to provide more information about 'Arguments'.

  • I feel an overwhelming sadness

    ➔ Present simple

    ➔ 'Feel' is in the present simple tense, indicating a current state or emotion.

  • Messages from all my exes

    ➔ Noun phrase

    ➔ The phrase 'Messages from all my exes' is a noun phrase that refers to a specific type of content.

  • Growing up and moving on

    ➔ Gerund phrase

    ➔ The gerunds 'growing' and 'moving' indicate ongoing actions or processes.

  • Nothing good will come from regretting

    ➔ Future simple passive

    ➔ The structure 'Nothing good will come from' indicates a future outcome based on a certain action.