"The Song Remembers When" is a song written by

Hugh Prestwood Hugh Loring Prestwood (born April 2, 1942) is an American Hall of Fame songwriter, whose work is primarily in country music. He was discovered by Judy Collins, who gave him his first hit "Hard Time for Lovers", which was recorded in 1978. Prestw ...

and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer

Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American singer, actress, author and television personality. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single " She's in Love with the Boy," which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard'' c ...

. It was released in October 1993 as the lead single and title track from her album ''

The Song Remembers When ''The Song Remembers When'' is the third studio album by American country music artist Trisha Yearwood. The album was released October 26, 1993, on MCA Nashville Records and was produced by Garth Fundis. It was Yearwood's third collaboration with ...

''. The song was covered by

Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...

for her 2005 album ''

As I Am ''As I Am'' is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys. It was released on November 9, 2007 by J Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording studios from 2005 until 2007. Production was h ...

''.

Background

"The Song Remembers When" is a slow ballad written by

. It was originally recorded by

Kathy Mattea Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including four that re ...

but was dropped from her album in the final stages of production. It was then picked up by Trisha Yearwood, who recorded it as the title track of her third studio album.

Content

The song is a testament to the way that music can instantly trigger a memory that was seemingly forgotten. The woman in the song is waiting for change at a counter when she hears a familiar song. Out of nowhere, she is suddenly reminded of a time when she and a former lover sang along to the song on the radio as they drove through the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

. She recalls that she tried many ways to rid herself of the memories of that failed romance, only to have them come rushing back in an instant when she hears a song attached to a moment in their time together: As the song progresses, the woman reveals that, although she can't remember why the relationship failed, the song can. In the end, it becomes a powerful statement that any forgotten memory can be brought back to life for anyone in the world through the power of music.

Chart performance and music video

Yearwood was enjoying the success of a string of hit singles from her two prior albums, "

" and "

Hearts in Armor ''Hearts in Armor'' is the second studio album by American country music singer Trisha Yearwood. It was released on September 1, 1992, by MCA Nashville. Four of its tracks found spots in the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles chart in 1992 and 1 ...

." "The Song Remembers When" was released in late 1993 as a follow-up. The single became a major hit that year, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart, and became her first single to chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at #82. It also reached #4 on the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' country charts in Canada. This song also won an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for being featured in a one-hour musical special, Trisha Yearwood: The Song Remembers When, on the Disney Channel. The single was one of several major hits Yearwood would have over the next couple of years, including: "

How Do I Live "How Do I Live" is a song written by Diane Warren. It was performed by American singer, songwriter and actress LeAnn Rimes and the extended version of the song was later featured on her second studio album, '' You Light Up My Life: Inspiratio ...

," "In Another's Eyes," and "

Perfect Love "Perfect Love" is a song written by Sunny Russ and Stephony Smith, and recorded by American country music artist Trisha Yearwood. It was released in January 1998 as the third and final single from her compilation album '' (Songbook) A Collection o ...

."Wolff, Kurt (2000). In ''Country Music: The Rough Guide''. Orla Duane, Editor. London: Rough Guides Ltd. p. 548. A music video was created using live footage from a televised concert Trisha did to promote the album; it was directed by Steve Purcell and premiered in 1993.

Charts

Year-end charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Song Remembers When, The 1993 singles 1993 songs Trisha Yearwood songs Songs written by Hugh Prestwood Song recordings produced by Garth Fundis MCA Records singles