Songfacts®:

• Ed Sheeran is falling in love. However, he is feeling emotionally vulnerable and worried about getting hurt. He wants to ensure she genuinely feels the same way about him.
  
  So don't call me baby
  Unless you mean it
  Don't tell me you need me
  If you don't believe it
  So let me know the truth
  Before I dive right into you
  
  Sheeran has said in interviews that all the love songs on Divide are about his girlfriend Cheery Seaborn, whom he began dating in 2015.
• The guitar solo on "Dive" is played by one Angelo Mysterioso, who it turns out is one Eric Clapton. The same pseudonym was also credited on an Eric Clapton song, "I Will Be There," on which acoustic guitar and vocals were said to be by Angelo Mysterioso. That feature was originally rumored to be George Harrison, but later speculation centered on Ed Sheeran after they both performed the song together in Japan in 2016.
  
  Sheeran has said in the past that the guitar legend is a fan of his music. "I've had Eric Clapton come to my house for dinner," he told Radio x. "I've gone to his house for dinner and he tells me that he likes my music."
• Ed Sheeran wrote the song with frequent collaborator Benny Blanco ("Don't," "Castle on the Hill," "Perfect") and Julia Michaels ("Justin Bieber's "Sorry," Selena Gomez's "Good For You").
  
  Michaels told Billboard the track's genesis was a panic attack she had at an Ed Sheeran writing camp. She was the only person who hadn't written with the English star before as well as being the youngest person at the camp, and felt totally out of place. The American tunesmith was writing with Foy Vance when Sheeran came over with some cameras for his Songwriter documentary and asked them if they'd got anything. Michaels just backed away and ran into Benny Blanco's room. Blanco calmed Michaels down and told her they would write something together, "No cameras, just you and me, you got this."
  
  The pair listened to some tracks and Michaels started the course melody of "Dive," before asking to leave as she "was so tired and so overwhelmed."
  
  By the time Michaels had returned the next day, Sheeran had heard her work in progress on "Dive" and told the pop songstress he loved what she'd done so far and asked if he could help her finish it. They shut all the cameras out and completed the song. Now feeling comfortable in Sheeran's company Michaels helped the Brit write Anne-Marie's "2002" immediately afterwards.