Songfacts®:

• In February 2022, a series of devastating blows forever altered Ed Sheeran's life. First, his best friend Jamal Edwards, the young music entrepreneur who propelled his career, tragically passed away. Meanwhile, Ed's wife Cherry Seaborn, carrying their second child, received the shattering news of a cancerous tumor that couldn't be treated until after childbirth. As if that wasn't enough, Sheeran was embroiled in two high-profile plagiarism lawsuits over his smash hits "Thinking Out Loud" and "Shape Of You."
  
  During his month of sheer hell, Sheeran channeled his anguish into his music. Amongst the songs born from this darkness, "Salt Water" emerged as the epitome of Sheeran's bleakest creation, capturing the depths of his pain and turmoil.
• Over a blend of guitars, cello, and tambourine, Sheeran fearlessly confronts the shadows within, setting free a raw and potent manifestation of his inner anguish. With poignant lyrics like, "Oh, finally, I feel, at three or four degrees, I'm free in salt water," Sheeran delves into the depths of his emotions.
  
  Within the metaphorical depths of "salt water," the true meaning of "freedom" takes on a profound significance: the release found in death by submerging oneself in a body of water.
  
  Sheeran's reference to "three or four degrees" carries a layered meaning. It represents multiple levels of liberation he experiences through his departure from life - a departure that allows him to break free from the burdens of existence. In addition, it signifies his liberation from the influence and control of those around him.
• In the ethereal bridge of the song, Sheeran paints a vivid tableau of himself teetering on the precipice, ready to immerse himself in the embrace of salt water. With lyrics like, "Now, I'm standing on the edge, gazing into hell. Or is it somethin' else? I just can't tell," the imagery evokes a powerful sense of contemplation.
  
  In a moment where nothing remains, Sheeran closes his eyes and takes a resolute step forward, declaring, "Well, here it goes." Through these words, he captures the essence of his journey, suggesting a literal act of venturing into the realm beyond life - the afterlife itself.
• Sheeran's poignant lyrics depicting thoughts of self-demise through drowning in salt water delve into the realm of dark contemplation, but with a devoted wife and two precious children by his side, he clarifies he has no intention of turning those thoughts into reality. This sentiment echoes throughout the song as he repeats the refrain:
  
  It was just a dream
• Ed Sheeran joined forces with The National's Aaron Dessner after Dessner made waves with his contributions to Taylor Swift's Folklore and Evermore albums. Their creative synergy first came into play on "Run (Taylor's Version) [From the Vault]," a collaboration between Swift and Sheeran released in 2021.
  
  Holed up in a studio along the enchanting Kent coast, Sheeran and Dessner embarked on a prolific journey, crafting 32 songs together. Sheeran meticulously narrowed down the selection to 14 tracks, ultimately shaping his sixth album, Subtract. "Saltwater" emerged as the second offering born from their collaboration.