Conan wants the person he’s singing about to stay in his memories since he wants them to feel comforting and happy as they are. With the person returning back into his life, the memories become painful and no longer feel the same as it serves as a record of how everything once was between them. The song is about trying to move on from a relationship but can’t since the memories you had with them keep coming back to you in a more painful way.
Several days prior, following the announcement of Superache, Rolling Stone published an article about the album, accidentally leaking the title and release date of “Memories,” before removing any mentions of the song shortly after.
Gray formally announced the song on April 13, two days before its scheduled release, and two days after the Rolling Stone leak. Included in the announcement was an additional snippet of both the song and its music video, and a presave link for the song.
"I wanted to flip it over and be like, “I actually wish that you would stay in my memory. Like, stop showing up in real life. I don’t want any new memories. I’m trying to get over you.”
I was like, “Well, you broke up with him, so maybe you shouldn’t text him. Maybe you should actually just leave him alone and let him rest and let him get over you.” It just had me thinking about all the times that people texted me that I wished they wouldn’t have."
— Conan, via People
“"Memories” is out everywhere now. This is the very last song I wrote for Superache, and it felt like the perfect introduction into the world of this album. Written by me, produced by the brilliant [Dan Nigro]. I hope this song helps you get over that one person. You know who. Welcome to Superache 🌹"
— Conan, via Instagram
Memories
Conan Gray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's been a couple months
That's just about enough time
For me to stop crying when I look at all the pictures
Now I kinda smile, I haven't felt that in a while
It's late, I hear the door
Bell ringing and it's pouring
You just wanna talk and
I can't turn away a wet dog
But please don't ruin this for me
Please don't make it harder than it already is
I'm trying to get over this
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not letting me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playing the victim to be listening to me when I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
Now I can't say goodbye if you stay here the whole night
You see, it's hard to find an end to something that you keep beginning
Over and over again
I promise that the ending always stays the same
So there's no good reason in make believing that we could ever exist again
I can't be your friend, can't be your lover
Can't be the reason we hold back each other from falling in love
With somebody other than me
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not letting me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playing the victim to be listening to me when I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
Since you came
I guess I'll let you stay
For as long as it takes
To grab your books and your coat
And that one good cologne
That you bought when we were fighting
'Cause it's still on my clothes, everything that I own
And it makes me feel like dying
I was barely just surviving
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not letting me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playing the victim to be listening to me when I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
The song "Memories" by Conan Gray is an emotional ballad about a past relationship and the difficulties of moving on. Gray sings about missing his ex-partner and trying to come to terms with his trauma. He expresses how hard it is to let go of someone when they keep coming back and ruining his progress. However, he also acknowledges that he cannot be with this person anymore and that it's time to move on. The lyrics are full of powerful, honest emotions that anyone who has gone through a break-up can relate to. The song's mellow rhythm and Gray's emotive voice add to the somber, melancholic tone of the lyrics.
The song's first verse describes how Gray has been trying to move on from the relationship for a few months now. He talks about how looking at pictures of his ex no longer makes him cry and how he's starting to feel better. However, his progress is interrupted when his ex shows up unexpectedly at his door.
In the chorus, Gray expresses how he wants to remember his ex, but their constant intrusion is only making it harder. He says that he feels traumatized by the relationship and that he can't move on if his ex keeps showing up.
The second verse describes how Gray cannot say goodbye to his ex because they keep coming back. He acknowledges that there is no good reason to try and make the relationship work again, and he cannot be friends or lovers with his ex. He only wants them to stay in his memories.
Overall, "Memories" is a poignant song about the difficulties of letting go of a past relationship. It's a perfect representation of the sad but inevitable truth that sometimes, people just cannot be together.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a couple months
It's been a while since we broke up
That's just about enough time
Enough time has passed for me to move on
For me to stop crying when I look at all the pictures
I used to cry when I looked at pictures of us, but not anymore
Now I kinda smile, I haven't felt that in a while
But now I find myself smiling again, which is nice
It's late, I hear the door
Late at night, someone knocks on my door
Bell ringing and it's pouring
It's raining outside and I can hear the doorbell ringing
I open up that door, see your brown eyes at the entrance
I open the door and see that it's you
You just wanna talk and
You say you just want to talk
I can't turn away a wet dog
I can't turn you away when you're in need
But please don't ruin this for me
But I don't want you to ruin the progress I've made
Please don't make it harder than it already is
Please don't make things harder for me
I'm trying to get over this
I'm trying to move on from our past relationship
I wish that you would stay in my memories
I wish that you could just stay in my past memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
But you came back today and are ruining my progress
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
I want to forget about you because you were traumatic for me
But you're not letting me do that, 'cause tonight
But you're making it hard for me tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
You're in my kitchen, drunk and curled up in a ball
Too busy playing the victim to be listening to me when I say
You're not listening to me when I say that I want you to leave
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
"I wish that you could just stay in my past memories"
Now I can't say goodbye if you stay here the whole night
I can't say goodbye to you if you stay here all night
You see, it's hard to find an end to something that you keep beginning
It's hard to move on from something when you keep coming back
Over and over again
Over and over, we repeat this cycle
I promise that the ending always stays the same
I know that it will always end the same way
So there's no good reason in make believing that we could ever exist again
So there's no point in pretending that we could ever be together again
I can't be your friend, can't be your lover
I can't be friends with you or have any sort of romantic relationship with you
Can't be the reason we hold back each other from falling in love
We can't keep holding each other back from finding someone else to love
With somebody other than me
We need to move on and find someone else
Since you came
Since you came back
I guess I'll let you stay
I suppose I'll let you stay for now
For as long as it takes
As long as it takes for you to leave
To grab your books and your coat
To get your things and leave
And that one good cologne
And take your favorite cologne with you
That you bought when we were fighting
The cologne you bought during one of our fights
'Cause it's still on my clothes, everything that I own
Because it's all over my clothes and everything I own
And it makes me feel like dying
And it's making me feel so sad
I was barely just surviving
I was already struggling to get by
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
"I wish that you could just stay in my past memories"
But you show up today, just to ruin things
But you came back today and are ruining my progress
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
I want to forget about you because you were traumatic for me
But you're not letting me do that, 'cause tonight
But you're making it hard for me tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
You're in my kitchen, drunk and curled up in a ball
Too busy playing the victim to be listening to me when I say
You're not listening to me when I say that I want you to leave
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
"I wish that you could just stay in my past memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
Please, just stay in my past memories
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Conan Gray, Daniel Nigro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@erensmom7041
[Intro]
One, two
[Verse 1]
It's been a couple months
That's just about enough time
For me to stop cryin' when I look at all the pictures
Now I kinda smile, I haven't felt that in a while
It's late, I hear the door
Bell ringin' and it's pourin'
I open up that door, see your brown eyes at the entrance
You just wanna talk and
I can't turn away a wet dog
[Pre-Chorus]
But please don't ruin this for me
Please don't make it harder than it already is
I'm trying to get over this
Chorus]
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not lettin' me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playin' the victim to be listenin' to me
When I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
[Verse 2]
Now I can't say "Goodbye" if you stay here the whole night
You see, it's hard to find an end to somethin' that you keep beginning
Over and over again
I promise that the ending always stays the same
So there's no good reason in make believin' that we could ever exist again
[Pre-Chorus]
I can't be your friend, can't be your lover
Can't be the reason we hold back each other from falling in love
With somebody other than me
[Chorus]
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not lettin' me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playin' the victim to be listenin' to me
When I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
Bridge]
Since you came
I guess I'll let you stay
For as long as it takes
To grab your books and your coat
And that one good cologne
That you bought when we were fighting
'Cause it's still on my clothes, everything that I own
And it makes me feel like dying
I was barely just surviving
[Chorus]
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not lettin' me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playin' the victim to be listenin' to me
When I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
@pinkyii9450
"You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine
And that made me want to die"
- All Too Well, Taylor Swift
"'Cause it's still on my clothes, everything that I own
And it makes me feel like dying"
- Memories, Conan Gray
My mind went straight to that lyrics. Love both of them <3
@rreungl_
One, two
It's been a couple months
That's just about enough time
For me to stop cryin' when I look at all the pictures
Now I kinda smile, I haven't felt that in a while
It's late, I hear the door
Bell ringin' and it's pourin'
I open up that door, see your brown eyes at the entrance
You just wanna talk and
I can't turn away a wet dog
But please don't ruin this for me
Please don't make it harder than it already is
I'm trying to get over this
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not lettin' me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playin' the victim to be listenin' to me
When I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
Now I can't say "Goodbye" if you stay here the whole night
You see, it's hard to find an end to somethin' that you keep beginning
Over and over again
I promise that the ending always stays the same
So there's no good reason in make believin' that we could ever exist again
I can't be your friend, can't be your lover
Can't be the reason we hold back each other from falling in love
With somebody other than me
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not lettin' me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playin' the victim to be listenin' to me
When I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
Since you came
I guess I'll let you stay
For as long as it takes
To grab your books and your coat
And that one good cologne
That you bought when we were fighting
'Cause it's still on my clothes, everything that I own
And it makes me feel like dying
I was barely just surviving
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not lettin' me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playin' the victim to be listenin' to me
When I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
@kiranakiran7337
It's been a couple months
That's just about enough time
For me to stop crying when I look at all the pictures
Now I kinda smile, I haven't felt that in a while
It's late, I hear the doorbell ringin' and it's pourin'
I open up that door, see your brown eyes at the entrance
You just wanna talk, and I can't turn away a wet dog
[Pre-Chorus]
But, please, don't ruin this for me
Please, don't make it harder than it already is
I'm trying to get over this
[Chorus]
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not lettin' me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playing the victim to be listening to me when I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
[Verse 2]
Now I can't say "Goodbye" if you stay here the whole night
You see, it's hard to find an end to somethin'
That you keep beginning over and over again
I promise that the ending always stays the same
[Pre-Chorus]
So, there's no good reason in make believin'
That we could ever exist again
I can't be your friend, can't be your lover
Can't be the reason we hold back each other from falling in love
With somebody other than me
[Chorus]
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not lettin' me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playing the victim to be listening to me when I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
[Bridge]
Since you came
I guess I'll let you stay
For as long as it takes
To grab your books and your coat
And that one good cologne
That you bought when we were fighting
'Cause it's still on my clothes, everything that I own
And it makes me feel like dying
I was barely just surviving
[Chorus]
I wish that you would stay in my memories
But you show up today, just to ruin things
I wanna put you in the past 'cause I'm traumatized
But you're not lettin' me do that, 'cause tonight
You're all drunk in my kitchen, curled in the fetal position
Too busy playing the victim to be listening to me when I say
"I wish that you would stay in my memories"
In my memories, stay in my memories
@ndindi7103
From his "let me introduce myself", to his aesthetic vlogs, to his first album and now this impeccable masterpiece. He has grown so much and I am so proud of conan
@Alate_
Ikr me too our baby has grown so much i’m so proud of him
@lemonnotade
same as much as i miss the vlog and stuff) especially the cooking with Ash) im really proud of how far he have gotten
@ainunnaimi6018
it felt like he were one of my old best friend
@rookdook217
yesss
@clairerecording1317
I just did a cover "memories" and hope you check it out in my channel!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djJbVN1D2T0
@abbie7885
ok, but this is actually so freaking awesome. i stayed up late last night to hear the release of this song and i have no regrets whatsoever. it's beautiful and i really do think conan is entering a new era of music, with his voice, lyrics, and general style <33
@lifestyle_daniela
RIGHT ME TOO
@petramrazkova7920
SAMEE
@petramrazkova7920
@Faith Sanford lol💀