Hailing from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, Bay gained a reputation thanks to stints at Communion's monthly night at Notting Hill Arts Club in London and a successful run of support slots with Tom Odell, John Newman and Kodaline. He issued his debut EP, The Dark of the Morning, in 2013, with a second extended player, Let It Go, and a third extended player, Hold Back the River, arriving the following year.
In May 2018, Bay released his second studio album, Electric Light.
Forever
James Bay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remember me? Remember love?
Remember trying to stay together?
My time, you took it all.
You tried to see.
You tried to bring yourself up without involving me.
It isn't fair, to have your way,
To try and get up and go and na na na na now can't you see,
But I'm trying to get your attention and I need you to know that.
Hey you! Hey you!
Can't you make this sane?
I know, I know, I know you ain't the one to play the game.
Now I know I'm never gonna go your way.
If you go, now I know, I know know know.
Forever we tried to make it right,
Together we saw the end in sight,
I'm tired of fighting the good fight,
If you say the word then I'll say goodbye.
Forever I see you and me,
Forever I'll try for you and I,
No I never believed in their insight,
Just another good reason to get it right.
I don't want to turn around,
So come on baby,
Come on and try to let it out,
Let go.
We're still the same,
So come on baby,
Trigger the sound, lets figure it out,
Let's get back to where we started out.
Hey you! Hey you!
Can't you make this sane?
I know, I know, I know you ain't the one to play the game.
Now I know I'm never gonna go your way.
If you go, now I know, I know know know.
Forever we tried to make it right,
Together we saw the end in sight,
I'm tired of fighting the good fight,
If you say the word then I'll say goodbye.
Forever I see you and me,
Forever I'll try for you and I,
No I never believed in their insight,
Just another good reason to get it right.
Go go go go get out, get out of my memory,
No no no not tonight, I don't have the energy.
Go go go go get out, get out of my memory,
No no no not tonight, oh not tonight, oh not tonight.
Forever we tried to make it right,
Together we saw the end in sight,
I'm tired of fighting the good fight,
If you say the word then I'll say goodbye.
Forever I see you and me,
Forever I'll try for you and I,
No I never believed in their insight,
Just another good reason to get it right.
Forever we tried to make it right,
Together we saw the end in sight,
I'm tired of fighting the good fight,
If you say the word then I'll say goodbye.
Forever I see you and me,
Forever I'll try for you and I,
No I never believed in their insight,
Just another good reason to get it right.
The lyrics to James Bay's song "Forever" seem to be an attempt to salvage a relationship that is falling apart. The opening lines suggest that the singer is speaking to a former lover who has taken advantage of him in the past. The chorus begs for reconciliation and for the other person to make things right. The singer acknowledges that they have tried to work through their issues in the past, but can't continue fighting if there is no resolution.
In the second verse, the singer pleads with his partner once again to work through their issues, but also seems to realize that it may not be possible. He states that if the other person wants to end things, he will say goodbye. The bridge of the song is a powerful and emotional plea for the other person to leave the singer's memory, but the repetition of "not tonight" suggests that it is an ongoing struggle.
Overall, "Forever" is a song about the ups and downs of a relationship, and the struggle to keep love alive. James Bay's powerful vocals and emotional lyrics make it a song that is easy to relate to for anyone who has ever had their heart broken.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you!
The singer starts addressing someone and gets their attention.
Remember me? Remember love?
He reminds the person of their relationship and asks if they remember the love they once shared.
Remember trying to stay together?
He recalls the efforts they made to keep their love strong.
My time, you took it all.
He expresses how his partner may have taken too much time away from him.
You tried to see.
He acknowledges the effort the other person made to improve the relationship.
You tried to bring yourself up without involving me.
He confronts his partner's behavior of trying to improve without including him in the process.
It isn't fair, to have your way, To try and get up and go and na na na na now can't you see, It isn't fair to have your way, But I'm trying to get your attention and I need you to know that.
He tells his partner that it is unfair to make all the decisions in their relationship and that he is trying to communicate his feelings.
Hey you! Hey you! Can't you make this sane?
The singer asks his partner to try and make things right between them.
I know, I know, I know you ain't the one to play the game.
He implies that his partner may not be willing to cooperate in fixing their relationship.
Now I know I'm never gonna go your way.
He accepts that things may not work out the way his partner wants them to.
If you go, now I know, I know know know.
He suggests that if his partner leaves, he will have to accept it and move on.
Forever we tried to make it right, Together we saw the end in sight, I'm tired of fighting the good fight, If you say the word then I'll say goodbye.
He reflects on the efforts they made to save their relationship and expresses his hopelessness about continually fighting for something that may not work out in the end.
Forever I see you and me, Forever I'll try for you and I, No I never believed in their insight, Just another good reason to get it right.
Despite the challenges, he still sees a future with his partner and intends to keep trying to make the relationship work.
I don't want to turn around, So come on baby, Come on and try to let it out, Let go.
He encourages his partner to open up and share their true feelings with him.
We're still the same, So come on baby, Trigger the sound, lets figure it out, Let's get back to where we started out.
He asserts that despite the challenges, they are still the same people and urges his partner to revisit the beginning of their relationship to find a way forward.
Go go go go get out, get out of my memory, No no no not tonight, I don't have the energy.
He expresses his desire to move on from the past and forget about the difficulties they faced.
Forever we tried to make it right, Together we saw the end in sight, I'm tired of fighting the good fight, If you say the word then I'll say goodbye.
Repeating previous lines, he emphasizes his weariness in fighting for the relationship but leaves it up to his partner to decide if they will continue or not.
Forever I see you and me, Forever I'll try for you and I, No I never believed in their insight, Just another good reason to get it right.
An identical repetition of a previous stanza underlines his unwavering commitment to the relationship despite all odds.
Contributed by Anthony B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@aiasia5704
Hey you!
Remember me? Remember love?
Remember trying to stay together?
My time, you took it all.
You tried to see.
You tried to bring yourself up without involving me.
It isn't fair, to have your way,
To try and get up and go and na na na na now can't you see,
It isn't fair to have your way,
But I'm trying to get your attention and I need you to know that.
Hey you! Hey you!
Can't you make this sane?
I know, I know, I know you ain't the one to play the game.
Now I know I'm never gonna go your way.
If you go, now I know, I know know know.
Forever we tried to make it right,
But together we saw the end in sight,
I'm tired of fighting the good fight,
If you say the word then I'll say goodbye.
Forever I see you and me,
Forever I'll try for you and I,
No I never believed in their insight,
Just another good reason to get it right.
I don't want to turn around,
So come on baby,
Come on and try to let it out,
Let go.
We're still the same,
So come on baby,
Trigger the sound, let's figure it out,
Let's get back to where we started out.
Hey you! Hey you!
Can't you make this thing?
I know, I know, I know you ain't the one to play the game.
Now I know I'm never gonna go your way.
If you go, now I know, I know know know.
Forever we tried to make it right,
But together we saw the end in sight,
I'm tired of fighting the good fight,
If you say the word then I'll say goodbye.
Forever I see you and me,
Forever I'll try for you and I,
No I never believed in their insight,
Just another good reason to get it right.
Go go go go get out, get out of my memory,
No no no not tonight, I don't have the energy.
Go go go go get out, get out of my memory,
No no no not tonight, oh not tonight, oh not tonight.
@indie_dev_madison
6 years later and this cover is still undefeated!
@PocketsandTus
Not enough words to describe how much I like this version of the song.
@slickswings
James Bay is one of those rare artists, whatever they sing turns to audio gold
@ashleynoelle4308
i’ll come back to listen to this forever he did this cover sooo flawlessly. that voice isn’t even right how fuckkkin good it is
@lucymorris5227
This comment section is so civilised well done guys... Haim and James Bay fans are so chill
@javonacw
and so we should be, am i right👌?
@Fugpigoo
lucy morris AS WE SHOULD but somebody just dragged harry styles for no reason
@FluffyJiaJia
Oh god, that voice and those harmonic chords, on top of this being a HAIM song, how much better can this get.
@mastersasori01
Guitar skills and the voice! mahaayy goodnesssss!
@paulmersonvillalegend4859
Absolutely Flawless
(4 years on)