Photographs
Robert Ellis and The Boys Lyrics
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I’ll never know if he made you smile
I’ll never know if you secretly think back and miss him
These things I wonder every once in a while
Honey, take down those photographs
I need to know what’s passed is passed, oh
Tell me I’m the only one, that your two-timing days are done
When I met you, you were wild and you were free
When I met you, you were a whole lot like me
Well, we’ve both grown quite a bit
There’s some things I’d really like to forget
You won’t let me, I don’t know why you won’t let me
Honey, take down those photographs
I need to know what’s passed is passed, oh
Tell me I’m the only one, that your two-timing days are done
That you have had your fun
Take down those photographs
I need to know what’s passed is passed, oh
Tell me I’m the only one, that your two-timing days are done
That you have had your fun
The song "Photographs" by Robert Ellis and The Boys is about a relationship where one person cannot let go of their past. The singer wonders about the past lover of his partner, he will never know how she felt when she kissed him, or if she secretly thinks about him. This uncertainty creates insecurity in the relationship as the singer wants his partner to assert her commitment to him. The lyrics express this urge to move on from the past, particularly by taking down the photographs that serve as a reminder of a previous time.
The singer admits in the second verse that they both used to be wild and free, but have grown and changed. However, the photographs remain, and the singer wants to forget that time of their life, but their partner won't let them. The chorus repeats the desire for the partner to take down the photographs and let the past stay in the past. The song ends on this note of unresolved tension between the present and the past, with the lingering question of whether the past will keep haunting their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I’ll never know how you felt when you kissed him
I ponder how it was like when you kissed him, but I am unaware of your emotions during that moment.
I’ll never know if he made you smile
It's a mystery whether he made you happy or not.
I’ll never know if you secretly think back and miss him
I often wonder if you reminisce about him and long to have him back, but I will never really know the truth.
These things I wonder every once in a while
From time to time, I reflect on these things and it leaves me curious.
Honey, take down those photographs
My dear, would you kindly remove those pictures?
I need to know what’s passed is passed, oh
It's important for me to accept that what's done is done.
Tell me I’m the only one, that your two-timing days are done
Assure me that you have moved on from your infidelity and are devoted only to me now.
That you have had your fun
That you have had your moment of pleasure and excitement with other people but it's over now.
When I met you, you were wild and you were free
At the beginning of our relationship, you were carefree and unbounded.
When I met you, you were a whole lot like me
We were quite similar in temperament at the start of our relationship.
Well, we’ve both grown quite a bit
We have both matured over time.
There’s some things I’d really like to forget
There are some things in the past that I wish to erase from my memory.
You won’t let me, I don’t know why you won’t let me
However, you still hold on to those memories and I don't understand why.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ROBERT ELLIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind