Old Pictures

This seems like the story of something terribly important being lost. Perhaps a loved one. In my opinion it's about a point where that thing is remembered in (im just guessing here) maybe Paul's mind. The last powerful memory of a time long past that will never leave the mind and is reflected upon again and again in the heart and the mind. Whatever it is, it's a very powerful, inspirational song that I can relate to so deeply that it scares me.

This seems like the story of something terribly important being lost. Perhaps a loved one. In my opinion it's about a point where that thing is remembered in (im just guessing here) maybe Paul's mind. The last powerful memory of a time long past that will never leave the mind and is reflected upon again and again in the heart and the mind. Whatever it is, it's a very powerful, inspirational song that I can relate to so deeply that it scares me.

mmmm I really connect with this song too! I think it's about a distant memmory, a loved one that is so far removed all he has left is pictures. It's so sad. I never go on a train without thinking of my ex

to me this song is about a person struggling with a breakup and he constantly is being reminded by old pictures of the bitterness. "I turned you in I turned you into whispers " seems to be about not letting the bad thoughts get to him, and not letting them control him he's breaking away from the normal and going down his own path and trying to grow. The "i remembered you on trains so now your on every train i hear" seems to be refering to the past when he used to be "in love", but now all the old pictures and trains just remind him of his ex- and it's difficult to move on, so all the thoughts and voices that cloud his mind and remind him of her are just turned into whispers so he can survive.

The line "I remembered you on trains/So now you're on every train I hear" always makes me think of the movie "Before Sunrise".

But the song is definitely about the way we remember people. Even the people we cared about the most, after enough time, fade away to nothing more than "whispers" and "reflections off a window". And it seems the person in the song blames himself for this loss. "I wished that you were gone/So now you're gone", and the repetition of "I turned you into...." He's put upon himself responsibility for the natural course of memory. It's as if he can't bear that fact that his memory of someone he loved so much can become so hazy, so he tells himself that's not normal, that it's something he's done and should be ashamed of.

Flag poles stand parallel to eachother - never touching, never meeting.

This is about the breakdown of a friendship, probably a long-time friend... They're still around, and he reflects upon the relationship, but it was destructive. He forced that person to become nothing more than a memory...

He's still concerned, but knows its safer to stay in a place where they don't cross paths.

At the recent Live At The Corner recordings, Paul says that this song is about "selective memory.. what you choose to erase, & what you potentially can't erase."

that sums up my ideas about this song perfectly. there is someone whose pages i want "fly away", but he's still "on every train i hear".. he is out of my life - but not my memory. there's just some parts that won't go away..

gorgeous, gorgeous song.

This song is really sad and beautiful... Like others have said, I think it's about losing someone and feeling responsible for that, whether that's a death or a breakup or the alienation of a friend. I like how the first verse is about trying to forget the person - "let these pages fly away... reflected off a window is where you'll stay" - but then the second verse is all about remembering them, being desperate to remember because you miss them - "I built you out of nothing to have you near". And then in the bridge, there's the feeling of guilt and responsibility, and then it goes back to trying to forget again. I love how it's a story, but it's kind of heartbreaking.