Photograph

Song meaning of Photograph by Ed Sheeran

Together with Snow Patrol member Johnny McDaid, Sheeran created the song using his piano loop as a starting point. Sheeran sought Jeff Bhasker's assistance after recording multiple versions with various producers.

Sheeran's own experience of being away from his then-girlfriend while he was on tour served as the inspiration for the song's discussion of a long-distance relationship. He spent over a year with Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt. Sheeran spent five months away from Nesbitt when they were dating, including two months on his solo tour and three months on a concert tour with Snow Patrol.

The idea for the song first came to Sheeran while he was humming "loving can hurt, loving can hurt" to a loop playing on McDaid's laptop while he was in a Kansas City hotel room. Sheeran remembered: "I started humming, and then [McDaid] put a beat behind it."

While Sheeran was assembling a Lego set and McDaid was working on his laptop, they came up with the song's concepts. Four hours later, Sheeran grabbed up a guitar, and they started giving the song appropriate structure. They eventually finished writing the song "within about half an hour," according to Sheeran. The next day, when they listened to the song again, they both realised what had happened, and they agreed to record it. The song was finished by Sheeran while he was in Denver, Colorado.

Photograph lyrics by Ed Sheeran

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

We keep this love in a photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts are never broken

Times forever frozen still

So you can keep me

Inside the pocket

Of your ripped jeans

Holding me closer

'Til our eyes meet

You won't ever be alone

Wait for me to come home

Loving can heal

Loving can mend your soul

And it's the only thing that I know (know)

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

We keep this love in a photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts were never broken

Times forever frozen still

So you can keep me

Inside the pocket

Of your ripped jeans

Holding me closer

'Til our eyes meet

You won't ever be alone

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

Wait for me to come home

Wait for me to come home

Wait for me to come home

Wait for me to come home

Oh you can fit me

Inside the necklace you got when you were sixteen

Next to your heartbeat

Where I should be

Keep it deep within your soul

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

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"