TL;DR:
- Ringo Starr’s “Photograph” has some lyrical similarities to The Beatles’ “Yesterday.”
- The lyrics of “Photograph” could be interpreted as a lament over The Beatles’ breakup.
- “Photograph” hit No. 1 in the United States, becoming the only No. 1 song written by Ringo.
Ringo Starr‘s “Photograph” feels like it might be about The Beatles. After all, its lyrics are reminiscent of the former Beatles’ then-current situation. Notably, “Photograph” blew all Ringo’s other songs out of the water commercially.
Why Ringo Starr’s ‘Photograph’ is a bit like The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’
On the surface, “Photograph” is similar to The Beatles’ “Yesterday.” It’s another sting-laden soft rock song about a lost love. However, the two songs were born out of different contexts. “Yesterday” came out in 1965, a time when The Beatles were still going strong and they might have gone strong forever.
On the other hand, “Photograph” was released in 1973. At that point, The Beatles had put out their final release, Let It Be. In addition, all members of the band had released solo albums, some of which were very successful. In context, it’s easy to look at “Photograph” as a lament for the Fab Four.
Ringo Starr must’ve captured the mindset of some Beatles fans
For years, some Fab Four fans hoped the band would reform. The narrator of “Photograph” wants his lost love back, but he acknowledges their relationship is over for good. All he has left is the nostalgia for days gone by, and a photograph that reminds him of those happy times.
That must’ve been what it felt like to be a Beatles fan in 1973. By that point, John Lennon released “Imagine” and George Harrison released “My Sweet Lord,” so it probably looked like the band was over forever.
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However, fans still had plenty of material to look to for Beatles nostalgia. They could find solace in The Beatles’ records, movies, animated television show, merchandise, etc. In fact, Beatles fans had it a lot better than Ringo does in the song. He only has a photograph to remind him of his former lover!
How ‘Photograph’ and its parent album performed on the pop charts
“Photograph” become Ringo’s most successful solo song. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week, staying on the chart for 16 weeks. Notably, Ringo co-wrote the song with George. That makes “Photograph” the only No. 1 single Ringo ever wrote, as he didn’t write any of The Beatles’ chart-toppers, or his other chart-topper “You’re Sixteen.”
“Photograph” appeared on the album Ringo, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 37 weeks. Ringo outperformed all the former Beatle’s other solo albums.
“Photograph” was a much more modest hit in the United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, “Photograph” reached No. 8 there and lasted on the chart for 13 weeks. Meanwhile, Ringo peaked at No. 7 and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks.
“Photograph” might be Ringo’s signature song and its nostalgic tone still resonates today.
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