Singer Ed Sheeran is no one’s idea of a rock god. With his mop of red hair and pudgy face, he looks more like a Hobbit from a Tolkien movie.

But looks don’t account for talent. And the 27-year-old Brit has become a pop music powerhouse, having won a plethora of music awards over his career.

One of the tracks from his 2011 debut album contains, surprisingly, for a pop singer, a strong pro-life theme. Entitled, “Small Bump,” it’s a poignant song about miscarriage, and tells how a friend of Sheeran lost her baby. Now I have no idea whether or not Sheeran was the father. But the words convey the humanity of the unborn child:

You’re just a small bump unknown, you’ll grow into your skin
With a smile like hers and a dimple beneath your chin
Finger nails the size of a half grain of rice, and eyelids closed to be soon opened wide
A small bump, in four months you’ll open your eyes.

And then it ends with this:

‘Cause you were just a small bump unborn for four months then torn from life
Maybe you were needed up there but we’re still unaware as why.

The video shows Sheeran in the waiting room of a hospital, mourning the miscarriage.

Now in the wake of Ireland’s upcoming referendum on abortion, Irish pro-life groups have used it to promote life. But Sheeran isn’t happy about that. He threw shade at them on his Instagram account:

“I feel like it’s important to let you know I have not given approval for this use, and it does not reflect what the song is about.”

Okay, then let me understand this. Sheeran writes an evocative song about a precious miscarried baby. He sings about the humanity of the lost little life. Yet he doesn’t want pro-life groups to use the same words to demonstrate the same characteristics of a unborn baby killed through abortion.

So what’s the difference? Isn’t the aborted baby just as human as the baby that died in a miscarriage? Is not one just like the other? Oh, wait. It all depends on whether or not anyone wants the baby, right?

African pro-life activist Obianuju Ekecocha took Sheeran to task:

Musician @edsheeran doesn’t want his song ‘Small Bump’ used for pro-life campaign bcos he wrote it about a baby lost in miscarriage.

Dear Ed,in a miscarriage a baby dies and is lost (very sad), in an abortion a baby is cruelly killed and is thrown away. You should weep for them. https://t.co/ytVO66vsKR

— Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) May 20, 2018

However, Sheeran himself says that his fans don’t care about his politics. “People buy my records to put on while they make out. I’m not Mr Political. I vote the way I feel I should, but won’t tell somebody else what to do,” he said in a 2017 interview.

Right. Sheeran won’t tell someone else what to do, unless they’re pro-life groups in Ireland. Moreover, he can’t have anything possibly upsetting ticket sales for his worldwide tour which is just beginning.

Sheeran won’t be the first or last singer to get upset about their songs being used for campaigns of one sort or another. Ronald Reagan’s 1984 campaign used Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA,” much to the Boss’s chagrin. And Queen — or what’s left of them — were not amused when the Trump campaign played “We are the Champions” at the Republican National Convention.

But when Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign used Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” — well, that was a whole other story, wasn’t it? Because Clinton was cool. And Republicans and pro-lifers are not.

Meanwhile, back in Ireland, voters there will be deciding on Friday whether or not to repeal their Eighth Amendment, which protects the life of the unborn child. So what could happen? Abortion would then be legal only up until 12 weeks — that is, unless a woman can find two doctors who will claim that pregnancy will ruin her physical or mental “health.” Then she can get an abortion up to 23 weeks. This all sounds too familiar, doesn’t it?

But an über-rich pop star can’t tolerate the everyday Irish folks who use his song to promote life. Even though he says he’s ‘not political.’ We’ll let Ed in on a little secret — his opinion is neither profound nor insightful. It smacks more of arrogance than thoughtfulness. But it certainly is hypocritical, isn’t it?