The Real Meaning Behind Zach Bryan’s I Remember Everything

At the end of the “I Remember Everything” chorus, Zach Bryan sings, “I wish I didn’t, but I do / remember every moment on the nights with you.” He is heartbroken and wants to clear his mind of the memories of their love affair, but he cannot.

The second verse is sung by Kacey Musgraves and connects to Bryan’s first line. She sings, “You’re drinkin’ everything to ease your mind / But when the hell are you gonna ease mine?” This implies that he has been self-absorbed in the relationship, not seeing how she’s hurting (and how he’s hurting her with his behavior). Musgraves sings a simile about concrete in the summertime to express how their love burns hot but causes pain. 

In an especially cutting line, Musgraves says, “No, you’ll never be the man that you always swore.” This is a dig at Bryan — he said one thing about his personality or sense of self that his actions have proven inaccurate. Musgraves’ chorus has the same lines as Bryan’s but gives them a different meaning. “A cold shoulder at closing time / You were beggin’ me to stay ’til the sun rose” initially implied that he was the one giving the cold shoulder and Musgraves wanted him to stay. Now, Musgraves sings those words back to him, and the actual circumstances of their break-up are muddied and unknown to the listener. Who was begging whom to stay?