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Ed Sheeran Decodes His Ink, Including Harry Styles 'Bro Tat'

'+' singer breaks down three of his tattoos to MTV News.

No one can deny that Ed Sheeran is a creative guy, from his captivating songwriting and smooth singing to his plethora of tattoos.

The British singer has a penchant for body ink with the majority colorfully covering nearly his entire left arm. Yet, what is the most interesting about Sheeran's collage of tattoos, which include a Heinz tomato ketchup bottle, a cup of tea and a tribute to Taylor Swift's Red, is that each have story behind them.

MTV News recently caught up with Sheeran, who is gearing up to hit the Grammy stage to perform alongside Elton John, and had him explain the meaning behind three of his tattoos in a segment we like to call "Tat Talk." Check out the video to see Sheeran explain his body ink!

Puss in Boots

Sheeran inked up his forearm with the sword-swinging, boot-wearing, oh-so-adorable cat, but the reason he got this tattoo was not for his admiration for Antonio Banderas, who portrays Puss in Boots in the movies, it was to pay homage to one of his album's songs.

"Puss in Boots relates to a song called 'Wake Me Up' where I talk about 'Shrek,' " Sheeran admitted. "Plus, I like cats."

"Wake Me Up" is an intimate and revealing acoustic song off of his debut + album, where he admits that he's a terrible computer game player and that he is a big fan of the animated ogre.

"And I know you love 'Shrek,' 'cause we've watched it 12 times/But maybe you're hoping for a fairytale too," Sheeran sings on the track.

Pingu

From a cat to a penguin, Sheeran decided to tat up his triceps with a portrait of Pingu, which is a British claymated children's television series that centers around Pingu the penguin. Yet, when he went to get this tattoo, he brought along a fellow body ink enthusiast, One Direction's Harry Styles.

"I got that with Harry Styles, he got Pingu [written under his arm]," Sheeran said "Kinda like a bro tat."

So how did Sheeran persuade Styles to add Pingu to his growing collection? "I mentioned it; he was like, 'Alright then.' "

Well, that was easy!

Prince

Sheeran proudly sports the word "Prince," in colorful green-block letters, on his bicep showing his fan appreciation for the hit television series, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Sheeran appropriately got the ink while on tour in Philadelphia.

"I played in Philadelphia and I was on tour with my friends, the Rizzle Kicks, who were my opening act," Sheeran said. "And I got 'Prince,' Jordan got 'Fresh' on his leg, and Harley got on his arm 'on the playground where I spent most of my days.' "

And if you are wondering if Sheeran really is a legitimate "Fresh Prince" fan, he proved it by rapping the entire theme song of the show, and unsurprisingly, never missed a beat.

Which Ed Sheeran tattoo is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

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