Decoding Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran's "I Don't Care" Lyrics

Their latest new collaboration may sound upbeat but addresses some pretty somber personal issues.

By Corinne Heller May 10, 2019 3:40 PMTags
Justin Bieber, Ed SheeranDavid M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage

Ed Sheeran's latest song, the pop single "I Don't Care," featuring Justin Bieber, may sound upbeat but addresses some pretty somber personal issues.

The song describes a person attending a party they "don't wanna be at," feeling like they don't "fit in" and "always feeling like I'm nobody." But then...someone the person cares about swoops in to save the day.

"We at a party we don't wanna be at," Bieber sings. "Tryna talk, but we can't hear ourselves / Read your lips, I'd rather kiss 'em right back / With all these people all around I'm crippled with anxiety / But I'm told it's where I'm s'posed to be / You know what? It's kinda crazy 'cause I really don't mind / And you make it better like that."

In February, E! News learned that Bieber was battling depression, and had also formed a strong support network composed of "the people that love him most," including his wife of less than a year Hailey Bieber and his pastor.  

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Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber at Coachella 2019

Also that month, the singer opened up about his mental health struggles in a candid interview with Vogue. In 2017, he cancelled several remaining dates of his Purpose tour. He told Vogue that he "got really depressed on tour," and felt "lonely."

Watch: Justin Bieber Opens Up Further About Fear & Anxiety

Bieber soon opened up more about his mental struggle, asking for fans to pray for him. In March, Bieber said that he was "focused on repairing some of the deep rooted issues" "so that I don't fall apart, so that I can sustain my marriage and be the father I want to be." He later posted a photo from a "therapy session" and said he is "getting better everyday..bouncing back."

"'Cause I don't care when I'm with my baby, yeah," Bieber and Sheeran sing in "I Don't Care." "All the bad things disappear / Yeah, you're making me feel like maybe I am somebody / I can deal with the bad nights when I'm with my baby, yeah."