Polaroid Picture

Album: Tape Deck Heart (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Frank Turner told the story behind the song to Artist Direct: "There was a venue in London called The Astoria," he explained, "which was there for years. It was the 2,000-capacity venue that every medium-sized punk band played at. I grew up going there. It was a real hub of the music scene in London. It was demolished a few years ago and turned into a railway station, which is nice [Laughs].
    I played the last show there ever," Turner continued. "I was invited to do a whole bunch of press around that show to talk about the venue. At the start of the day, I was very much onboard with the idea that 'this is a tragedy, a great loss, and the end of an era.'
    "After talking about it for a few years, I felt sort of uneasy about that. I think this is the point of the song. Rock 'n' roll is an ethereal art form. It's about moments. It's about snapshots rather than oil paintings. It's about wild nights out rather than museums. What I try to do in my life, rather than try to make everything some massive mausoleum to the past and build nostalgia into some concrete moment, is to enjoy each moment as it happens."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.