Songfacts®:

• This album cut about the scars from a broken relationship is rooted in primal therapy, created by psychologist Arthur Janov, whose work formed the basis of The Hurting. Janov dealt with childhood trauma and repressed memories, which Tears For Fears' Roland Orzabal was pondering when he wrote the song. He explained in the album's liner notes: "The whole notion of repression in psychology is that although things are shoved to the back of one's mind, they still exert a force on your behavior, creating phobias, depression, insecurities... You're using up energy when you're repressing things, which could be used for far better things, like a forehand volley!"
• Orzabal, who also sang lead vocals on the song, wasn't entirely happy with how it turned out. "'Memories Fade' is an incredibly wordy song," he said. "It's got a good feeling, but I find the actual indulgence in the words a bit too much."