Photosynthesis
Tyler Lane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every seed we learned to sow
For all the water how we watched it flow
All this time you could have been letting me go
You could have been letting me know
While I've been high
You've been low
I know I've tried and you've never known
That all this time you could have been letting me go
You could have been letting me know
All this time you've watched me grow
All the stories left untold
And oh how our fire it's turned to slow
All this time you could have been letting me go
Letting me know
For every flower that we tried to grow
Every seed we learned to sow
How our love has turned to cold
All this time you could have been letting me go
You could have been letting me know
The lyrics of Tyler Lane's song "Photosynthesis" seem to describe a relationship that has been growing apart while the two parties involved were either unaware or in denial about the situation. The imagery of growing flowers and sowing seeds seems to represent the effort put into the relationship, while the water flowing symbolizes the passage of time. However, despite all the effort, the relationship has turned cold and the fire that once burned has slowed down.
The chorus repeats the same sad discovery that the person singing the song has finally made - that throughout all this time, the other person could have been letting them go or at least giving them a signal that the relationship was not working, yet they failed to do so. The lines "All these feelings you couldn't show, I know I've tried and you've never known" suggest that communication was lacking in the relationship, with both parties struggling to express how they truly felt.
Overall, the song seems to be expressing the pain of realizing that a relationship is coming to an end, and that the signs were there all along but went unnoticed. The metaphor of photosynthesis is interesting because it describes the process of growth in plants, which is fueled by sunlight, water, and air. Just like plants need these elements to grow, relationships also need certain conditions to thrive, including honest communication, effort, and above all, love.
Line by Line Meaning
For every flower that we tried to grow
For every attempt we made at nurturing our love
Every seed we learned to sow
Every lesson we learned about how to cultivate this relationship
For all the water how we watched it flow
For all the time we spent watching our love develop
All this time you could have been letting me go
Throughout this whole process, you could have been telling me that you want to end things
You could have been letting me know
You could have communicated your feelings to me earlier
While I've been high
While I've been happy and content in this relationship
You've been low
You've been struggling and unhappy
All these feeling you couldn't show
You couldn't express your true feelings to me
I know I've tried and you've never known
I've made an effort to keep this relationship alive, but you were unaware of the problems
All this time you've watched me grow
Throughout our relationship, you've seen me mature and evolve as a person
All the stories left untold
There were things that we never shared with each other
And oh how our fire it's turned to slow
Our passion for each other has slowly diminished over time
All this time you could have been letting me go
For all this time, you could have ended things before it got to this point
Letting me know
You could have communicated with me about your desire to end our relationship
For every flower that we tried to grow
Once again, referencing how hard we worked to keep this relationship alive
Every seed we learned to sow
And how much we put into trying to make it work
How our love has turned to cold
But ultimately, our love has become distant and unfeeling
All this time you could have been letting me go
Reiterating the missed opportunities for ending things earlier
You could have been letting me know
If only you had communicated your feelings sooner
Contributed by Allison G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@spacefreak09
This song is pure, raw emotion! Thank you so much Cougar Town!
@TheZeldrak
Like all the other comments I've read so far, I also heard this on Cougar Town. I've noticed that this show has a really good soundtrack to it. Several episodes have had some very lovely tracks playing. This was also one of my favorites: Leona Naess - Leave Your Boyfriends Behind
@unnnicorn
Totally agree!
The soundtrack to Cougar Town is chosen really well <3
@dreamerkimo
I love this song, thanks for sharing.
@Aquielle10
YES! I finally found this song! I feel in love with it when I heard it on cougar town but I had no clue what the name of it was, thank god I found it now!
@insearchforgoodmusic
Thank you for all the support :) Will be posting new videos soon!
@danjelkewl6949
I keep forgetting and then rediscovering songs and have been my whole life. But somehow I always remember both the artist and song name when it comes to this one. It's this and Billy Marten - Book of Love
@POWCHEWAH
FINALLY! SOMEONE UPLOADED IT! you rock! aha! I was waiting for a link other than MYSPACE that I could listen to this, hehe, YOU'RE SUPER AWESOME!!!!!!!!
@LauraBebieh
i looooooooooove this song *.* hear it the hole day.... cougar town *-*
@bstanley188
THANK YOU SO MUCH OMG!!!!