Songfacts®:

• We spend our youth with arms and hearts wide open
  And then the dark gets in and that's the end of youth
  
  Ed Sheeran's best friend, music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards, died of a fatal drug overdose on February 20, 2022. Sheeran was devastated by the death of his close pal, who was like a brother to him.
  
  On "End Of Youth" Sheeran recounts the physical and emotional toll his grief has taken on him. He sings of how the carefree nature of youth will never be reclaimed again, and how he feels like he has lost a part of himself.
• Is this the endin' of our youth when pain starts takin' over?
  I just don't know if I can ever just let it go
  Everything's fallin' apart, when love is real, there's never closure
  I guess it's all part of life, but I can't help but feel low
  
  The poignant chorus serves as a heartfelt plea for help. It resonates with the perpetual cycle of losing loved ones as time goes by, amplifying the sorrow that ensues.
• Reflecting on this song's theme of grief, Ed Sheeran candidly shared his observations and personal experiences. He said that many friends who had previously kept their struggles hidden began opening up to him after his loss. This newfound vulnerability broke down invisible barriers, allowing Sheeran to have deep conversations with his parents and friends.
  
  Through these conversations, Sheeran realized that profound challenges, such as grief, depression, and anxiety, are a part of growing up. He is grateful that he experienced these challenges in his 30s, but he knows that many of his friends had to endure them at a much younger age.
  
  This realization has given Sheeran a new perspective on life. He now understands the profound impact that losing one's youth and being thrust into adulthood can have. He believes it is fundamentally unfair that some people have to deal with adult hardships at such a young age.
• Sheeran recorded the song with producer Aaron Dessner (The National, Taylor Swift) for his sixth album, Subtract. Dessner's production for this meditation on loss of innocence is purposely bleak.
• February 2022 marked the darkest period in Ed Sheeran's life, a month filled with heart-rending challenges. Not only did he lose his best friend, but his wife, Cherry Seaborn, who was carrying their child, faced the daunting prospect of undergoing surgery for a tumor. Because of the pregnancy, the procedure had to be postponed until after giving birth. Adding to his burden, Sheeran found himself entangled in plagiarism lawsuits concerning his chart-topping hits "Thinking Out Loud" and "Shape Of You."
  
  These overwhelming circumstances plunged Sheeran into the depths of despair, triggering a profound depression that echoes throughout many tracks on Subtract.