Memory I Don't Mess With

Album: Hey World (2020)
Charted: 33
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This story of love lost finds Lee Brice running into an old girlfriend. The memories of their time together are so powerful, poignant and raw they need to remain in the past. If they get close again, he fears he might get pulled in again too deep. Said Brice: "The memory's always there. The pictures are always there in your head. But that's the one you've gotta let alone, and let just be a memory."
  • The idea for the heartfelt tale of a past romance came during a writing session with Brian Davis. Brice recalled to American Songwriter that he and Davis were sitting around talking, having just written a song, when one of them said, "That's a memory I don't mess with." he immediately sensed a song idea, "And right then and there, we wrote a chorus."

    The song sat without any verses for about a year. Brice kept it on his work tape until finally a melody came to him and he completed it with Billy Montana. "Sometimes, you just have to let songs breathe for a while, and that one soaked into my ears and into my head for a year," said Brice.
  • Brice released the song on October 16, 2020, believing it to be the perfect soundtrack for sweater weather. "It's that time of year," he told Apple Music. "The fall, school comes back in, football. To me, it inspires the heart and nudges nostalgia."

    "This definitely has pieces of my real-life history and I think that's why it makes it special," Brice added. "It draws people in as we have all been through that feeling at some point in our lives."

Comments: 2

  • Randy from Houston, TxI love this song. Lee Brice is the man!
  • Joellens from St. Peters, Mo.Going Platinum for sure. I can already see him on stage collecting Grammy for this masterpiece.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

Benny Mardones

Benny MardonesSongwriter Interviews

His song "Into The Night" is one of the most-played of all time. For Benny, it took him to hell and back.

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Chris Squire of Yes

Chris Squire of YesSongwriter Interviews

One of the most dynamic bass player/songwriters of his time, Chris is the only member of Yes who has been with the band since they formed in 1968.