Game of Thrones: Ed Sheeran made the most delightful cameo
Ed Sheeran is no stranger to modern pop culture, being one of the most celebrated post-millennial pop artists himself. Therefore, one can imagine the amount of craze stirred up when Ed Sheeran made the most delightful cameo in Game of Thrones’ latest season. This news had been making the rounds for many months now, and after a while, was confirmed by Game of Thrones cast and crew and Mr. Sheeran as well. However, fans were still not prepared to find the singer-songwriter in the premiere episode of the show’s seventh season, aired on Saturday, the 16th of July on HBO.
The Cameo
The five-minute cameo had the British singer deliver a heart-wrenching ballad taken from George R.R. Martin’s books and composed by Sheeran himself. Along with this he delivered two more dialogues but said very little otherwise. The scene, as Sheeran has already mentioned in interviews, was fairly insignificant in the plot of series seven, all the whole show as a whole. Nevertheless, it was some crucial insight into Arya Stark’s storyline and character development.
The scene begins with Arya continuing on her solitary journey she had been on the end of last season, with fans still not aware of where she is headed, when she hears singing in the woods. She moves closer to see a group of Cersei’s soldiers sitting around a campfire. One of these soldiers, the one singing a soft sweet ballad, is (you guessed it) Ed Sheeran.
He stops when the company becomes aware of Arya and the soldiers invite her for a meal. During the meal, they reveal they are Cersei’s peacekeeping force on their way to House Frey, and ask her where she is headed. It is when she responds with “Kings’ Landing” that her point of destination is revealed to the viewers. When asked why she is going there, she responds, “To kill the Queen” which results in cathartic laughter from the group.
Along with some major plot revelations, this scene becomes crucial in humanizing Cersei’s forces. Despite being Arya’s “enemies”, these soldiers are wonderful heartfelt individuals, willing to share their measly scraps of meal with an absolute stranger. The viewer can see Arya’s bewilderment in her eyes; she is not used to such kindness from strangers, particularly those from opposing forces. In this respect, this portion of the episode shows Arya’s identifying and coming to terms with compassion, where she would just butcher strangers before, she almost befriends these men, while sitting next to Sheeran.
Sheeran’s Ballad
Originally written by George R.R. Martin in the books Game of Thrones is based on, Ed Sheeran gives his small ballad a Celtic folksy air, and sings the following lines;
“He rode through the streets of the city
Down from his hill on high
O”er the winds and the steps and the cobbles
He rode to a woman”s sigh
For she was his secret treasure
She was his shame and his bliss
And a chain and a keep are nothing
Compared to a woman”s kiss
For hands of gold are always cold
But a woman”s hands are warm”
An air of nostalgia is created when this scene begins and Sheeran’s soft, sweet voice carries his tune through the forest. The song resonates with fans of the original books, as a reminder of Shae and Tyrion’s relationship. On its own, however, it is lamenting of these soldiers’ fate; far away from home, fighting a battle they are not particularly keen on fighting.
This group of soldiers really does throw the audience (and Arya) off-guard. Not only are they too nice, they are also not really keen on upholding the sanctity of their Queen. Despite not believing Arya when she says she is going to kill the Queen, a soldier holding his ruler in high esteem could have been offended. But these men, after a long, decisive pause, burst out laughing instead. It leads one to wonder whether their reaction will be similar if Arya is successful in her endeavor.
Ed Sheeran and Game of Thrones
Sheeran’s fans are fully aware about how the singer geeks out over most pop culture phenomena. Already a fan of Star Wars and Lego sets, he became a fan of the show after he was introduced to it by Snow Patrol lead vocalist, Gary Lightbody while they were on tour together. Lightbody had made a cameo in the show itself, and after watching it, Sheeran asked to have a cameo arranged for him too.
This was three years ago. Since, Sheeran has struck up a friendship with many of Game of Thrones’ cast members, such as Kit Harrington and Maisie Williams. In fact, the latter caught his eye after she was hoisted on someone’s shoulders, belting out Sheeran’s lyrics back at him from the crowd in his performance at the Glastonbury festival. Being such a big fan, Williams was ecstatic when she heard that Sheeran’s cameo in the show was going to be a scene with her. And indeed Ed Sheeran’s made the most delightful cameo in Game of Thrones alongside her, making it the fourth celebrity cameo in the HBO series.
Ed Sheeran: 2017
Fortune has been on Ed Sheeran’s side throughout his career and the twenty six year old has achieved quite a bucket list in his lifetime. With a singing career that has led him to selling out multiple arenas and stadiums all over the world, to singles such as “Shape of You” which simultaneously top the charts in over a hundred countries, Ed Sheeran is currently one of the most talked-about artists in the music business.
At the peak of his career, Sheeran went AWOL for the entirety of 2016 to travel the world and rediscover himself. To the surprise of his fans and colleagues alike, he also went off all social media, threw away his cell phone and to date is only connected to the rest of the world via email. However, he has made a massive comeback this year, with a brand new album, Divide; multiple sell out tours for this year and the next; and a probable new album in the works. He truly is an act to look out for.
