Ed Sheeran has been putting out drive safe signs across the county in a nod to a lyric from his hit song Castle on the Hill, the Suffolk superstar has said.
Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk’s Introducing host, Richard Haugh, on Mark Murphy’s Breakfast Show this morning, the Framlingham singer/songwriter said that he would not change the lyric “driving at ninety down those country lanes” from the song despite the criticism it has attracted from police.
“I am not encouraging speeding at all, I am just singing it in a song,” he told the BBC.
“Nobody goes on at Jimi Hendrix for saying 90 miles-per-hour is the speed I drive [in Crosstown Traffic] and he actually says miles-per-hour is the speed I drive.”
In reference to the controversy, Ed revealed his marketing budget allowed for some promotion in Suffolk, with road safety posters going up to promote the album and playfully reference the speeding lyric.
One such poster has already appeared on a bus stop in Ranelagh Road, Ipswich.
“I wanted to do some sort of billboard in Suffolk and then we thought it would be quite funny instead of actually putting up billboards saying the album is out, just having a blue sign that says drive safe.”
But Castle on the Hill is not his only love-song to Suffolk, with Ed stating that he had written “six or seven songs about Suffolk” on similar subjects.
“All of them had that stadium rock feel but Castle on the Hill just turned out the best way,” he added.
In a wide-ranging interview, Ed revealed he had been approached by Portman Road after declaring his dream of playing the stadium, as well as his plans for film and soundtrack work.
When asked by Richard Haugh on whether he would play Framlingham Castle, Ed said: “I think it’s still too close to home.
“I would love to go and play Portman Road, I think that would be the closest place to home that I would be comfortable playing.
“I don’t know when that’s going happen but it will happen eventually in my career.”
Ed said Portman Road had approached him about a gig but contractual clauses for his tour meant he was unable to organise an Ipswich show until after the tour was completed.
He added: “When I do it it’s going to have to be a one off thing.”
Ed said he will be starring in a “low-budget” British movie which he will also be working on the soundtrack for, before starting work on his fourth album.
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