A street performer shared the poignant moment they started singing an Ed Sheeran song in public – as he never expected to get such a heartbreaking reaction from a stranger
When busker Sam Rendina set up to perform in the street, he had no idea about the impact he was about to have on someone’s day.
The street performer filmed himself singing Ed Sheeran song Supermarket Flowers. But when watching the footage back, he was really drawn to a man who was listening to the performance from a doorway.
As he belted out the poignant lyrics, the stranger started welling up and wiping tears from his eyes. Sam recalled: “Was busking when this broke my heart. As soon as he heard this song, he turned around. Then he started staring at the pavement and he stared at his drink. Then out of nowhere, he started crying. Watching this was so sad – he just couldn’t hold back his tears.”
Sam shared this touching encounter on TikTok, where it garnered more than 58,000 likes and plenty of compassionate comments. One TikTok user implored: “Give him a hug.” And another said: “People are going through a lot and it makes my heart hurt.”,
Ed Sheeran previously confided to interviewers that Supermarket Flowers is written to “really make you cry” – and he’s definitely achieved this aim!
The track is in tribute to his late grandmother – and is written from the perspective of Sheeran’s grieving mother. It’s a song that resonates with many who have experienced loss.
The song wasn’t originally meant to be heard by the world, but Sheeran had a change of heart after a poignant moment at his grandmother’s funeral.
He reflected: “My grandfather just turned to me, he was like you have to put that out, that has to go on the record. It’s such a good memory, that’s why it’s ended up on there.”
Supermarket Flowers has gone on to be a big success – charting at number eight on the UK Singles Chart.
