Lyric Analysis - Photograph

"Photograph"

Loving can hurt
Loving can hurt sometimes
But it's the only thing that I know
When it gets hard
You know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing that makes us feel alive

The first five lines of the songs are pretty self explanatory, stating how the singer can see the both sides portrayed through the words "hurt" and "feel alive". On one hand he is saying that love can be painful and difficult to deal with at times. On the other hand he is saying its amazing and you won't truly feel alive until you experience it. Despite how much he gets hurt it's the only thing he knows so he sticks with it. The repetition of the words 'hurt' and 'hard' as well as 'loving' put emphasis on the idea of the two being linked. 

We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves

These next two lines focus on the idea of holding onto the greater moments of a relationship through a photograph as it truly captures the love you feel at the time it was taken. There isn't really any metaphors or connotations to be discussed from these lines as they are pretty self explanatory. 

Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
Times forever frozen still

The next three lines almost create three juxtapositions which suggest that love can make the impossible happen. It is impossible to keep your eyes open forever. It is impossible to never have a broken heart at one time or another. It is impossible to freeze time. These three lines put emphasis on the previous two lines by conveying how important it is the capture and remember the loving moments through means such as a photo.

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket
Of your ripped jeans

Holdin' me closer
'Til our eyes meet

You won't ever be alone
Wait for me to come home

"So you can keep me" and "wait for me to come home" suggests that the singer is going somewhere so he is given or gives someone else a photograph to remember him by in the hopes that their eyes will "meet" again. "You won't ever be alone" is a metaphor for how the photograph will mean whoever gave it to him will always be there in memory.

Loving can heal
Loving can mend your soul
And it's the only thing that I know (know)

"Loving can heal" refers to how they use memories/photographs to mend the sadness of the separation. 

I swear it will get easier
Remember that with every piece of ya
And it's the only thing we take with us when we die

"The only thing we take with us when we die" refers to the memories they have made and shared together. It suggests that when people die the only thing they take with them are their memories.

We keep this love in this photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Our hearts were never broken
Times forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket
Of your ripped jeans
Holdin' me closer
'Til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone

The pre-chorus and chorus then return, with the music intensifying accentuating the emotion and therefore strengthening the message.

And if you hurt me
That's OK, baby, only words bleed

Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won't ever let you go

These 4 lines show that despite how much he is hurt by the person it's OK because only the words hurt him and not her and whats important for her is that they love each other. The metaphorical pages that she holds represent a part of him and she has captured him so strongly it's as if their relationship is a story that he never wants to end shown by the line "and I won't ever let you go"

Wait for me to come home [4x]

The "wait for me to come home" line is then repeated 4 times which one again emphasises the line and shows how much he wants the relationship to work.

Oh you can fit me
Inside the necklace you got when you were 16
Next to your heartbeat

Where I should be
Keep it deep within your soul

Here he is saying that she should keep their memories as close to her heart as possible because where he belongs is as close to her soul as possible. He is basically saying they are soulmates and nothing should ever separate them.

And if you hurt me
Well, that's OK, baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won't ever let you go

This is repetition of the previously stated

When I'm away
I will remember how you kissed me
Under the lamppost
Back on 6th street
Hearing you whisper through the phone,
"Wait for me to come home."

The final lines show how he will always remember the little things about their relationship, no matter how far apart they are. The backing track also slows down and simplifies a bit which intensifies the words. He remembers the way she used to talk to him on the phone and once again repeats "wait for me to come home" showing how he wants the relationship to last.