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Ed Sheeran said he would be “done” if he’s found liable of ripping off Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On.” Sheeran returned to the stand and again sang and strummed his guitar for a Manhattan jury.
The British singer-songwriter expressed the toll the copyright infringement case has had on him, as his attorney asked what would happen if the trial doesn’t pan out his way and the plaintiffs win ownership of the chord progression in his song.
Sheeran answered, “If that happens, I’m done – I’m stopping.
“I find it really insulting to work my whole life as a singer-songwriter and diminish it.”
Earlier, Ed's lawyer questioned the singer about live performances and the writing of his song “Thinking Out Loud” — parts of which he’s accused of lifting from Gaye’s 1973 R&B classic.
But he denied that he’d ripped off Gaye’s song to write his own 2014 hit.
Ed said the claims are 'insulting,' as he said he was actually inspired by Van Morrison.
Ed belted out various mashups of Van Morrison songs for the courtroom on Monday.
He strummed a four-chord sequence he’s accused of stealing from “Let’s Get it On” as he sang renditions of Morrison tracks, including “Tupelo Honey” and “Crazy Love,” on the stand.
Amy Wadge – who co-wrote “Thinking Out Loud” with Sheeran – later told jurors about the song’s creation, explaining that to her, the tune sounded more like Morrison’s “Have I Told You Lately.”
Wadge testified, “Once we had written and Ed started playing it from the phone, we both said it was a Van (Morrison) song. It had the same sort of feel as a Van Morrison song.”
If jurors rule against Ed, a second trial will determine what damages are owed to the Townsend family.
Source: Daily Mail, NY Post.
Photo Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images.