Photograph
R.E.M. with Natalie Merchant Lyrics

I found this photograph
The singer discovered an old photograph while going through a collection of lost and forgotten items.

Underneath the broken picture glass
The photograph had been damaged and neglected over time and was hidden away under dirty glass.

Tender face of black and white
The face in the photograph is captured in the simplicity and purity of black and white.

Beautiful, a haunting sight
The woman in the photograph is captivatingly beautiful and her image is unsettling.

Looked into an angel's smile
The singer is drawn into the image of the woman's face, which appears angelic and pure.

Captivated all the while
The singer is completely absorbed by the image and cannot look away.

From the hair and clothes she wore
The singer makes an educated guess about the time period the photograph was taken based on the woman's fashion choices.

I'd place her in between the wars
The singer believes the photograph was taken during the time period between World War I and World War II.

Was she willing when she sat
The singer wonders if the woman in the photograph was a willing participant in posing for the picture or if she was coerced in some way.

And posed the pretty photograph?
The woman in the photograph appears posed in a way that highlights her beauty and grace.

Save her flowering and fair
The singer wants to preserve the woman's beauty and youth as captured in the photograph.

The days to come, the days to share
The singer wishes to share the photograph with others and keep it as a cherished memory for the future.

A big smile for the camera
The woman in the photograph wears a broad smile, as though happy to be captured in the moment.

How did she know?
The singer wonders how the woman in the photograph knew that this moment would be captured and cherished forever.

The moment could be lost forever (forever)
The singer realizes that without this photograph, this moment would have been lost to time and history forever.

Forever more
The memory of this fleeting moment will be preserved and cherished for all time.

Stashed between the old joist walls
The photograph was hidden away in a forgotten or neglected place in the singer's home.

In a place where time is lost
The place where the photograph was found seems to exist outside of time, full of forgotten and abandoned items.

Lost behind, where all things fall
The place where the photograph was found is filled with things that have been forgotten or left behind for one reason or another.

Broken books and calendars
Among the forgotten items are damaged books and old calendars, further emphasizing the sense of abandonment and neglect.

Letters script in careful hand
The singer finds old letters that have been handwritten with great care and attention to detail.

Music, too, a standard tune by
The singer also finds old sheet music for a popular song, again highlighting the sense of nostalgia and longing.

Some forgotten big brass band
The sheet music is for a song played by a big brass band, perhaps indicating a time of celebration or joy.

From the threshold what's to see
The singer looks out from the place where the photograph was found and wonders what the future holds.

Of our brave new century?
The singer is referring to the early 1990s, when the song was written, and a sense of uncertainty about the future that many people felt at that time.

The television's just a dream
The singer believes that television is not real life, and that people need to experience authentic emotions and feelings in order to truly live.

The radio, the silver screen
The singer is skeptical of the way that popular culture shapes people's perceptions and values, and believes that the truth is more important than entertainment.

Was her childhood filled with rhymes
The singer wonders about the woman in the photograph's childhood, and whether it was happy or filled with sadness and pain.

Stolen hooks, impassioned crimes?
The singer imagines the woman may have experienced difficult or traumatic moments in her life, such as being the victim of a crime or injustice.

Was she innocent or blind
The singer is curious about the woman in the photograph's ability to see the world as it truly is, free from cynicism or pessimism.

To the cruelty of her time?
The singer believes that the time period in which the woman lived was marked by cruelty and suffering, and wonders if she was able to see past that to something better.

Was she fearful in her day
The singer wonders if the woman in the photograph was afraid of the world around her, or if she had the courage to face her fears and stand up for what was right.

Was she hopeful, did she pray?
The singer is curious about the woman in the photograph's religious beliefs or sense of hope for the future.

Were there skeletons inside
The singer wonders if the woman in the photograph had secrets or hidden parts of herself that she kept from the rest of the world.

Family secrets, sworn to hide?
The singer imagines that the woman may have come from a family with secrets or buried trauma that was kept hidden away.

Did she feel the heat that stirs
The singer wonders if the woman in the photograph felt the same wild passion and desire that is familiar to many people, or if her life was more reserved and quiet in nature.

The fall from grace of wayward girls?
The singer references the story of Adam and Eve, and imagines that the woman may have struggled with temptation and the consequences of her actions.

Was she tempted to pretend
The singer wonders if the woman in the photograph ever felt the need to fake her emotions or present a false self to the world.

The love and laughter, 'til the end?
The singer believes that true love and laughter are the most important things in life, and wonders if the woman in the photograph was able to experience these things fully.