Home Lifestyle Entertainment Ed Sheeran very nearly called his iconic song ‘Portlaoise Girl’

Ed Sheeran very nearly called his iconic song ‘Portlaoise Girl’

By
LaoisToday Reporter
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Ed Sheeran at Electric Picnic 2012. Picture: Alf Harvey.

Ed Sheeran so nearly catapulted Portlaoise on to the international stage – as he told Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show in 2017 that he initially called his hit song ‘Galway Girl’, ‘Portlaoise Girl’ before deciding to change.

The song, which went to Number 2 in the UK charts, was done with Irish folk band Beoga, and Sheeran told Tubridy how it very nearly had a different name.

“I know it says Galway Girl but it was all based on experiences I had in Dublin with different people. Basically just shoved it all into one,” said Sheeran.

“Did you try other towns or cities?” asked the Late Late Show host.

“I did yeah. I have a documentary coming out next year … I remember the first thing I said was ‘Portlaoise Girl’.”

“It could have been so different,” laughed Tubridy.

Sheeran said that he also felt that he couldn’t name it ‘Galway Girl’ because of the Steve Earle version.

“I was like can’t touch it. (But) it just worked. I felt I could get away with it.

“I wrote it with a bunch of Irish people and when I put ‘Portlaoise Girl’ to it they said ‘Ah Jesus'”.

Predictably, social media had quite the laugh at the thought of Ed Sheeran doing a song called ‘Portlaoise Girl’.

We’re saying here, Ed, you’re welcome any time to do that version for us in Laois!

 

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