In 1999 Jazz legend Joe Sample collaborated with Lalah on the album The Song Lives On, which became a staple on both Jazz and Smooth R&B radio, as well as topping the Jazz charts. However, it would not be until 2004 that Lalah Hathaway would resurface with her own project. She had her biggest hit single in years with an inspired cover of the late Luther Vandross' Forever, For Always, For Love, topping the Urban AC Chart and reaching Top 40 on Billboards mainstream R&B chart, a feat repeated by Outrun the Sky, Hathaway's first solo album in a decade, which was released late in the year.
Better As A Memory
Lalah Hathaway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Over and over I wondered what was I gonna do
Baby, we fell out of love
On the day that I looked up and saw you passing me on the street
I felt a familiar sensation only ones I felt so weak
All that it was love
Our love was better as a memory
Guess I′ll remember the laughter and the thrill of the ride
Guess I forgot what came after
All those nights that I cried
Yeah
Crazy love
Our love was better as a memory
Your kiss was sweeter in my fantasy
And you see
We weren't meant to be
Your love was better as a memory.
Though, though I′m sad
I'm glad this has happened at last
I'm satisfied that this should remain in the past
Just walk away
Now that would be better
Our love was sweeter, baby, in my fantasy
Our love was better, baby, as a memory
As a memory, yeah
Your kiss was sweeter in my fantasy
The song "Better As A Memory" by Lalah Hathaway talks about the realization of a love that has faded and recognizing that the relationship was better as a memory. The opening lines describe the longing for a lost love and the struggle to figure out how to move on. The chorus repeats that the relationship was better as a memory and that the love was sweeter in fantasy. The song highlights how sometimes when we look back at a relationship, we only remember the good times and forget the pain and hardship that came with it.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the relationship has ended and that the singer has experienced heartbreak. The line "Guess I forgot what came after, all those nights that I cried" is a powerful reminder that it's easy to idealize past relationships, but we must also remember the pain and struggle that accompanied them. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that it's time to move on and that the pain will eventually pass.
Overall, "Better As A Memory" is a poignant and relatable song about coming to terms with the end of a relationship and the realization that the good memories may be better left as just that, memories.
Line by Line Meaning
How many nights have I hungered for the comfort of you
I have longed for your presence and the feeling of being comforted by you countless times.
Over and over I wondered what was I gonna do
I constantly asked myself what steps I should take to overcome the pain of our breakup.
Baby, we fell out of love
Our love for each other slowly faded away over time.
On the day that I looked up and saw you passing me on the street
The moment I saw you in passing unexpectedly.
I felt a familiar sensation only ones I felt so weak
I felt a sudden and familiar weakness in my body that I have only experienced once before - when I was in love with you.
All that it was love
I knew that what I was feeling for you in that moment was love.
Our love was better as a memory
Looking back on our relationship, it was more enjoyable to remember it than to actually experience it again.
Your kiss was sweeter in my fantasy
In my dreams and imagination, the way you kissed me was more enjoyable than in reality.
Guess I'll remember the laughter and the thrill of the ride
I will cherish the moments of happiness and excitement we shared together.
Guess I forgot what came after
Unfortunately, I forgot about the pain and heartbreak that came afterwards.
All those nights that I cried
I spent countless nights crying over the loss of our relationship.
Your love was better as a memory.
Just thinking about the way things used to be between us is better than trying to reconcile and bring back that love.
Yeah
An expression of agreement or acknowledgment.
Crazy love
A term referring to a passionate and intense type of love.
Though, though I'm sad
Despite feeling sad about our breakup,
I'm glad this has happened at last
I am grateful that we finally faced the reality of our lost love.
I'm satisfied that this should remain in the past
I am content with leaving our relationship in the past and moving on from it.
Just walk away
It is better for us to part ways.
Now that would be better
It would be best for us to go our separate ways and leave our love as a memory.
As a memory, yeah
Reflecting on our love as a memory is the better option for us.
Writer(s): Porter Karl Cameron, Mc Kinney Sami R
Contributed by Anna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.