Ed Sheeran is only 22, but he already boasts a catalog of songs and lyrics that rivals stars twice his age. When he's not busy penning tunes for One Direction ('Little Things') and crooning duets with Taylor Swift ('Everything Has Changed'), he's singing his own songs -- and whether they're wistful ('UNI'), woeful ('Small Bump'), wooing ('Give Me Love') or wry ('You Need Me, I Don't Need You'), there are a few consistencies to all of Sheeran's songs.

One particular trademark to Sheeran's work is vivid imagery. Like his Red tourmate Swift, Sheeran has a way of painting pictures with his lyrics, conveying scenes and creating characters -- including himself -- and ultimately telling a story. The stories aren't always happy, but they are always beautiful to hear. Check out the top 10 Ed Sheeran lyrics below!

  • "Oh, you're just a small bump unknown / You'll grow into your skin / With a smile like hers and a dimple beneath your chin / Fingernails the size of a half grain of rice / And eyelids closed to be soon opened wide / A small bump / In four months you'll open your eyes."

    - 'Small Bump' (From the Album '+')
  • "And I know you love 'Shrek' / ‘Cause we've watched it 12 times / But maybe you're hoping for a fairy tale too."

    - 'Wake Me Up' (From the Album '+')
  • "Dad said beware, watch your back / Just don’t reply to that woman there / And even if she makes a fuss / Just ignore that trust / And don’t give in to lust / And leave that one alone / The girl’s trouble."

    - 'You Need to Cut Your Hair' (From the Album 'Want Some?')
  • "See, I’m true, my songs are where my heart is / I’m like glue, I stick to other artists / I’m not you, now that would be disastrous / Let me sing and do my thing and move to greener pastures."

    - 'You Need Me, I Don't Need You' (From the Album '+')
  • "Ripped gloves, raincoat / Tried to swim and stay afloat / Dry house, wet clothes / Loose change, bank notes / Weary-eyed, dry throat / Call girl, no phone."

    - 'The A Team' (From the Album '+')
  • "On cold days cold plays out like the band's name / I know I can't heal things with a handshake / You know I can't change as I began saying / You cut me wide open like landscape / Open bottles of beer but never champagne / To applaud you with the sound that my hands make."

    - 'Drunk' (From the Album '+')
  • "I'm gonna paint you by numbers / And color you in / If things go right we can frame it and put you on a wall / And it's so hard to say it but I've been here before / Now I'll surrender up my heart / And swap it for yours."

    - 'Lego House' (From the Album '+')
  • "She's like cold coffee in the morning / I'm drunk off last night's whiskey and Coke / She'll make me shiver without warning / And make me laugh as if I'm in on the joke."

    - 'Cold Coffee' (From the Album 'Songs I Wrote With Amy')
  • "And I don't get waves of missing you anymore / They're more like tsunami tides / In my eyes / Never getting dry / So I get high / Smoke away the days / Never sleep with the light on."

    - 'UNI' (From the Album '+')
  • "Touch down / Like a seven four seven / Stay out and we'll live forever now."

    - 'Autumn Leaves' (From the Album '+' Deluxe Edition)

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