“‘Mature Love’: Thinking Out Loud”

If you are getting married this summer or very soon in the future, let me recommend a wedding song to you: “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. It is written both by Edward Christopher Sheeran and Amy Wadge. Ed met Amy when he was 17 yrs old and in 2014, they released this song, which articulates some of the most powerful words about the enduring power of love. What is the true language of love is the central question this song attempts to answer.

“Thinking Out Loud” not only celebrates the immortal character of love, but also the faithfulness associating with mature love and growing old in love. Fidelity in love is a process and a journey, which binds two souls and cements two hearts together toward an ultimate end: everlasting love.

The clearest expression of fidelity in love and the purpose of love are found in the first stanza:

“When your legs don’t work like they used to before
And I can’t sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks”

Consider the promise of love articulating the subsequent evocative language (pay close attention to the first two lines):

“And darling I will be loving you ’til we’re 70
And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23
And I’m thinking ’bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe just the touch of a hand
Oh me I fall in love with you every single day
And I just wanna tell you I am
So honey now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart”

Next, the strength of mature love (or the love that endures and continues to grow) is stressed in the next verse:

“When my hands don’t play the strings the same way, mm
I know you will still love me the same
‘Cause honey your soul can never grow old, it’s evergreen
Baby your smile’s forever in my mind and memory”

Consequently, mature love transcends the sexual intimacy love itself could create or fosters in a relationship. According to this stanza, the memory of love in his/her mind is adequate, especially when two people in love continue to grow old together and when one of the spouses has amnesia or the Alzheimer disease. The memory of love is love in itself; Love is ENOUGH! The memory of love is the very essence of what mature love is about, and it is the thousands of future possibilities and virtuous qualities mature love creates or produces in the process of growing old together. Mature love is a committed kind of love ; it is what we might call covenantal love. It is resistant love. This kind of love is radical and revolutionary. Mature love is also deep and sure love. Mature love is sacrificial love, and it is the love that endures, creates hope and optimism, is pure, and will never die. Folks, there is nothing less and more profound than everlasting love.

Enjoy the full lyrics below and do listen to the song itself:

“When your legs don’t work like they used to before
And I can’t sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks

And darling I will be loving you ’til we’re 70
And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23
And I’m thinking ’bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe just the touch of a hand
Oh me I fall in love with you every single day
And I just wanna tell you I am

So honey now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I’m thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are

When my hair’s all but gone and my memory fades
And the crowds don’t remember my name
When my hands don’t play the strings the same way, mm
I know you will still love me the same

‘Cause honey your soul can never grow old, it’s evergreen
Baby your smile’s forever in my mind and memory

I’m thinking ’bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe it’s all part of a plan
I’ll just keep on making the same mistakes
Hoping that you’ll understand

But baby now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I’m thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are, oh

So baby now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Oh darling, place your head on my beating heart
I’m thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are

Oh baby, we found love right where we are (maybe)
And we found love right where we are”