Remember When
Rupert Holmes Lyrics


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Remember when I was young and so were you
and time stood still and love was all we knew
You were the first, so was I
We made love and then you cried
Remember when

Remember when we vowed the vows
and walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
Remember when

Remember when old ones died and new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
And broke each other's hearts
Remember when

Remember when the sound of little feet
was the music
We danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we'd never give it up
Remember when

Remember when thirty seemed so old
Now lookn' back it's just a steppin' stone
To where we are,
Where we've been
Said we'd do it all again
Remember when
Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won't be sad, we'll be glad




For all the life we've had
And we'll remember when

Overall Meaning

The song "Remember When" by Rupert Holmes is a nostalgic ballad about reminiscing past memories with a loved one. The lyrics highlight significant moments in a relationship including falling in love, getting married, having children, dealing with life's challenges, and growing old together. The first verse sets the tone by expressing the feeling of invincibility when the couple first fell in love, making it seem like nothing else in the world mattered except their love. The second verse acknowledges the hardships faced in the relationship but also emphasizes the idea of learning and growing together through it all. The third verse addresses the circle of life, where people come and go and the changes it brings to life, making it bittersweet. The chorus in each verse brings back the line "Remember when," as if the singer is referring to a specific time or moment in their relationship with their loved one.


The song, released in 1996, is Holmes' most successful single and reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song's success is attributed to the emotional way it captures the essence of a long-lasting relationship, making it highly relatable. Rupert Holmes had previously seen success as a songwriter for hits like "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" as well as for his Broadway musicals. Beyond its commercial success, "Remember When" was an important song for Holmes personally as it helped him to reconnect with his wife after a period of professional stress led to their temporary separation.


Line by Line Meaning

Remember when I was young and so were you
Let's recall the time when the two of us were young and lively.


and time stood still and love was all we knew
During that period of life, we experienced the blissful time of pure love when everything else ceased to matter.


You were the first, so was I
We shared a special bond because we had each other's first romantic experiences.


We made love and then you cried
Our intimate encounter evoked strong emotions that moved you to tears.


Remember when
Let's take a nostalgic journey down memory lane.


Remember when we vowed the vows
Let's recollect the moment when we made promises to each other at our wedding.


and walked the walk
We committed to fulfilling those vows by following them through actions rather than words.


Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We gave our all to begin this journey, it wasn't easy, but it was worth it for the sake of love.


We lived and learned, life threw curves
We encountered many obstacles and challenges that enabled us to grow together.


There was joy, there was hurt
Through it all, we experienced both joy and pain, but we stayed committed to each other.


Remember when
Let's recall those moments that shaped our life journey together.


Remember when old ones died and new were born
We lived through the cycle of life, where some cherished people passed away, and new faces were welcomed into the world.


And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
The events of life altered our world in ways we never thought possible, leading us to readjust our priorities and perspectives.


We came together, fell apart
Our relationship underwent rough patches, but somehow we always found our way back to each other.


And broke each other's hearts
We had moments of difficulty when we hurt each other.


Remember when
Let's take a moment to revisit the chapters of our story that were challenging but helped us evolve.


Remember when the sound of little feet
Recall those days when the sound of children's footsteps filled our home.


was the music
Those sounds were so harmonious to us, evoking feelings of warmth, love, and contentment.


We danced to week to week
We celebrated each week's milestones by reconnecting with each other through dancing and other shared activities.


Brought back the love, we found trust
Through renewing our connection and committing to each other, we rediscovered the love and trust we shared.


Vowed we'd never give it up
We promised each other that we'd always work hard to keep the love and trust alive.


Remember when
Let's cherish and remember the good times that we shared together.


Remember when thirty seemed so old
Once upon a time, turning thirty seemed like a symbol of aging, but now we know it's just a number.


Now lookn' back it's just a steppin' stone
As we look back at our life journey, we realize that the milestone of turning thirty was merely a stepping stone on our long journey together.


To where we are,
That stepping stone helped pave the way for who we are now.


Where we've been
Together, we've been on a journey, filled with ups and downs, shaping us into who we are today.


Said we'd do it all again
Despite the many obstacles and challenges we've faced together, we'd still choose to walk this path with each other if we had to do it over again.


Remember when
Let's be grateful for all the moments we've shared and remember that those moments have helped make our love stronger.


Remember when we said when we turned gray
At some point, we pledged to each other that we'd remain strong, even in old age.


When the children grow up and move away
After raising our children, we knew that the time would come when they'd leave our home to make their own lives elsewhere.


We won't be sad, we'll be glad
Despite longing to keep our children close, we'll be happy for them as they discover the world and begin to build their own families.


For all the life we've had
Together, we've lived a full and complete life, with memories that will always remain cherished and precious to us.


And we'll remember when
We'll always have our memories to tie us together and remind us of the special bond we've built together over the years.




Contributed by Max T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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