Polaroid Picture
Turner Frank Lyrics
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Superheroes and warriors
Cowboys and Indians, train drivers
Everything rolling through the endless summers
But everything changes
You got married had children
And I don't have your number
But in the stillness of the moment it takes for a Polaroid picture
To capture our faces forever and
The world has turned a touch on its axis
And the only thing certain is
That everything changes
And they closed the Astoria
At the end of last summer
The place we earned our pedigrees
Scene of our victories
Sanctuary in the centre of London
Now they're building a railway
To track the vanquished to Versailles
And singalongs on on
But they're singing different songs
In rooms that we don't know on the other side of the city
But in the stillness of the moment it takes for a Polaroid picture
To capture our faces forever and
The world has turned a touch on its axis
And the only thing certain is
That everything changes
So honey I just need a little time
To take a little time today
To save all the triumphs and tragedies
Before they slip away
Before they slip away
Let go of the little distractions
Hold close to the ones that you love
Because we won't all be here this time next year
So while you can take a picture of us
Let go of the little distractions
Hold close to the ones that you love
Because we won't all be here this time next year
So while you can take a picture of us
Take a Polaroid picture
(Let go of the little distractions)
(Hold close to the ones that you love)
Take a picture of us to show
We all want you to see where time goes
So in the stillness of the moment
Make sure you take a Polaroid picture
And keep it with you forever to
Remind yourself that everything changes
But there was this one time
Man there was this one time
When things were okay
The lyrics of Turner Frank's song Polaroid Picture reflect on the changes that come with time and life's transitions. The song is essentially about friendship and the changes that happen in our lives as we grow older. Turner expresses the joys and pains of change, and how often, we wish we could preserve certain moments forever. The opening lines speak of a friendship that used to be deep and unwavering, where they used to play superheroes, warriors, cowboys and Indians and train drivers together. They grew up spending endless summers together, but life took them on different paths. One person got married and had children, while the other lost touch and could no longer remember his friend's phone number.
Turner emphasizes the fleeting nature of time and how everything changes, contrasting the permanence of a Polaroid picture to the ever-changing world. He acknowledges that even the things we assume will never change, such as a familiar place, can ultimately disappear or transform into something else. The Astoria, where they had their "victories" and "earned their pedigrees," was something that he assumed would always be there, but it's gone now. In the refrain, he underscores the importance of cherishing the time we have with people while we still can and taking pictures to preserve these moments.
In summary, Polaroid Picture is a poignant reminder of how change is an inevitable part of life and how it can be both beautiful and painful. It urges us to appreciate the wonderful moments we have with the people we love and to treasure memories by preserving them.
Line by Line Meaning
Man, we used to be brothers
We were like family; superheroes, warriors, cowboys, and train drivers all rolled into one during our endless summers together
But everything changes
Life moves on and things will never be the same again
And I don't have your number
We lost touch somewhere along the way, and I don't even know how to reach you anymore
But in the stillness of the moment it takes for a Polaroid picture
In the brief moment it takes to create a snapshot of us, everything stands still and we can capture a moment in time
To capture our faces forever and
To immortalize our faces in an instant and hold onto that memory forever
And the only thing certain is
The only thing we can be sure of in life is change
That everything changes
All things must come to an end, and nothing lasts forever
They closed the Astoria
The place that played a huge role in our lives and where we had some of our biggest victories, has now been shut down
Sanctuary in the centre of London
A place that felt like a haven in the midst of our busy city lives
So honey I just need a little time
I need some time to reflect and preserve all the good and the bad times we shared before they slip away from my memory
To save all the triumphs and tragedies
To hold onto all those moments that made us happy or made us cry, and remember them forever
Let go of the little distractions
To avoid being drawn away by trivial things and to focus on the important things in life that bring us joy and happiness
Hold close to the ones that you love
To cherish and hold onto the people that make life worth living
We won't all be here this time next year
Time passes quickly, and we can never be sure of what the future holds, so we should cherish every moment we have with our loved ones while we still can
Take a Polaroid picture
In order to capture and hold onto the precious memories that make up our lives
To show we all want you to see where time goes
To create a visual record of our lives, and to remind us where we came from and how much things have changed
Make sure you take a Polaroid picture
To prevent these fleeting moments from slipping away forever
And keep it with you forever to
To hold onto the memories of those we love, and to remind us of the good times when things were okay
Remind yourself that everything changes
To remember that everything in life is temporary and subject to change, but that's not necessarily a bad thing
But there was this one time
We look back on our memories with a sense of nostalgia, the happy times where we felt like everything was going to be okay
When things were okay
To remember the moments in our lives where things felt less chaotic and more manageable
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANK TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jenine Whitehawk
I played this song day and night when my husband died. The lyrics seemed to fit exactly and I had even turned my husband into a fan. I emailed Frank and told him how much this song meant to me and he actually wrote back a really sweet email that I received on my birthday. He is an amazing man and a fabulous musician. #frankfanforlife
Steve Somers
Frank's a fine musician and an even better man!
Colin Frost
sending you love, this was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to read <3
Cheebzsta
I wrote him about the song "Recovery," how it became the soundtrack to one of the saddest train rides of my life and how I had to put it away until I was ready to remember being back on that train to Bangkok.
He wrote back the same as you and wished for me to be in a better place. It wasn't long but it was very kind. It meant a lot to know he knew how I felt about his wonderful music.
Here's to lost loves and the sadly fond smiles their pictures bring to our faces.
I hope you're doing better these days Jenine.
Jane
Sorry for the loss of your husband & your friend. I'm happy to hear he wrote back to you. Sending love 💞💞💞💞
Harry
Really sorry if this comes across as inappropriate, but I was really confused when you said you turned your husband into a fan, I instantly thought of a fan as in a cooling device used hot temperatures.
Jessie Patton
I've never found anyone with the ability to write quite like this man. He's one very talented musician. The man deserves to be bigger than he is. The masses of people that listen to what they're sold, miss out on gems like this. I feel sorry for the people who don't dig deep enough to find wonderful music from truly talented artists.
Jamison Watters
Check out #lucero Frank’s the Shit though… Saw him at #redrocks in fact with the boys from Memphis and Gawd DAMN what a show!
Avalon Perez
I was lying on my bed tpday, thinking about how huge loneliness feels, and how I'm terrified of the future because everyone I love will eventually leave me... and somehow, hearing this song, I don't feel scared anymore. I don't feel too scared of the future.
saucybecca
Just the other day my teacher played this song in class - 12th grade English. We were discussing death and change and he felt this was appropriate.
It's rare to see so many classmates close to crying, but it just felt... right. This song just speaks on so many levels to me, and to see it does that in general just makes it all the more better. I can't wait to see Frank at Coachella.