On “Stitches”, Mendes expresses the intense pain and hurt he has suffered at the hands of a lover, and how much he needs to be healed.

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Mendes explains that his ex-lover left him heartbroken; in the worst state he could ever imagine. The emotional pain is so deep that the singer metaphorically likens it to sharp cuts from a knife which have left him physically worn out as well. He describes the state of the relationship as a deadly one. However, he believes he’ll get through once he breaks up with this person and moves on with his life.

The irony of the song is that, though Shawn was very much aware of his partner’s heartless disposition, he was still holding on, and even felt helpless without his love. He later blames himself for getting hurt because he knew he had fallen in love with the wrong person.

Shawn sees a glimmer of hope, and believes that if he doesn’t get himself mended, he’ll end up dying emotionally. His need for stitches signifies that his heart has been torn into pieces by the hurtful words of his ex, and as such needs to be sewn back by someone else.

Did Shawn Mendes write “Stitches”?

No. Despite this being one of Mendes’ biggest hits, he did not write it. Noted songwriter Teddy Geiger wrote it alongside two others (Daniel Parker and DJ Kyriakides).

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It can be found on Shawn’s hit maiden album titled “Handwritten”.

It was released through Island Records on the 5th of May, 2015 as one of the four singles of the album. The other three singles are:

“Stitches” gave Mendes a lot of success on many record charts across the globe. It made it into the top 10 of both the U.S.A. and Canada’s “Hot 100” charts, peaking at 4 and 10, respectively. This feat gave Mendes his first ever top-10 hit in the United States.

Furthermore, Mendes went on to score a number 1 with this song in the following countries: