Old Photographs
Eternal Longing: Unveiling the Heartache in Trembling Blue Stars' 'Old Photographs'
Lyrics
I fell in love with you
The speaker fell in love with the person mentioned.
Then I fell in love with, too
The speaker fell in love with the things associated with the person.
Everything you'd ever done
The speaker admired everything the person had done in the past.
And old photographs
Old photographs intensified the speaker's affection for the person.
They just made me love you more
The old photographs increased the speaker's love for the person.
Now they have me longing for
Those photographs now evoke a longing for a place where the person's name is not heard, suggesting a separation.
A place I'll never hear your name
The speaker longs for a place where the person is not present or mentioned.
Your past as well as you
The past of the person, along with their present, has captivated the speaker's heart.
Captured my heart, too
The speaker's emotions are drawn to every phase or persona the person has embodied.
Everyone you'd ever been
The speaker is interested in everyone the person has been before reaching the current state.
On your way to me
Reflecting on the person's journey to meet the speaker.
You I couldn't know enough about
The speaker desires to know more about the person but feels limited.
But your life now
The present actions or circumstances of the person affect the speaker emotionally.
I'm hurt by the smallest detail
Even small details about the person's present life cause pain to the speaker.
I read words you wrote in a diary years ago
The speaker reads entries in the person's diary from the past.
That I loved because they were yours
The speaker loves these diary entries because they belong to the person.
And they're now words that have me think
Those diary entries make the speaker contemplate the person's past self.
"There she is" - that show me the you I miss
The entries remind the speaker of the person they miss, longing for their return.
Whose return I'm always waiting for
The speaker anticipates the return of the person they miss.
I may not have changed as much
The speaker might not have changed much, but they acknowledge some evolution since being together with the person.
But I'm not quite who I was when together we were
The speaker acknowledges personal growth or change since being in a relationship with the person.
For I can see I pushed for years
The speaker realizes they might have caused pain to the person over the years.
I'm haunted now by every tear
The speaker is tormented by the memory of causing tears to the person they love.
Every single tear I caused you
Every tear the speaker caused the person haunts them.
For one thing I would chase you
The speaker acknowledges a past behavior of chasing the person.
I'd chase you now
The speaker would still pursue the person now if given the chance.
I'd chase you now
The speaker reiterates their willingness to chase after the person presently.
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