Ed Sheeran Rejects the Use of His Song 'Small Bump' for an Anti-Abortion Campaign

According to The Guardian, an anti-abortion group in Dublin played Sheeran’s song “Small Bump” during one of their public campaigns less than a week before Ireland’s referendum on abortion. On May 25, the country will vote on whether to repeal its constitution’s strict Eighth Amendment, which “bans abortion in almost all circumstances.”

When the song was broadcasted in Dublin’s city center last week, Sheeran found out and posted an Instagram story distancing himself from the movement. On Friday, he wrote: “I’ve been informed that my song Small Bump is being used to promote the Pro-Life campaign, and I feel it’s important to let you know I have not given approval for this use, and it does not reflect what the song is about.”

The song (listen above) features lyrics that clearly celebrate birth: “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.”