1) The Highwaymen was an Am… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists sharing this name;
1) The Highwaymen was an American country music supergroup, composed of four of the genre's biggest artists, known for their pioneering influence on the outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. Active between 1985 and 1995, the group recorded three major label albums as The Highwaymen: two on Columbia Records and one for Liberty Records. Their Columbia works produced three chart singles, including the number one "Highwayman" in 1985.
Between 1996 and 1999, Nelson, Kristofferson, Cash, and Jennings also provided the voice and dramatization for the Louis L'Amour Collection, a four-CD box set of seven Louis L'Amour stories published by the HighBridge Company, although the four were not credited as "The Highwaymen" in this work.
Besides the four formal members of the group, only one other vocal recording artist appeared on a Highwaymen recording: Johnny Rodriguez, who provided Spanish vocal on "Deportee", a Woody Guthrie composition, from "Highwayman".
The four original members starred in a movie together: the 1986 film Stagecoach.
2) The Highwaymen were a collegiate folk group from the 1960s who had a significant impact on the folk scene of that time and remain famous for the song "Michael" and "Cotton Fields." Formed in 1958 while the band members were at college, the group broke up in 1964 after releasing eight albums and ten singles. They reunited in 1987, minus Chan Daniels (who died in 1975), for a concert for their 25th college reunion. Between then and 2009, the band has performed ten to twelve concerts a year. Today, two of the original five members (Steve Butts and Steve Trott) are still alive, with Dave Fisher dying on May 7, 2010, Gil Robbins (father of actor Tim Robbins) dying on April 5, 2011, and Bob Burnett dying on December 8, 2011.
Burning Memories
The Highwaymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Teardrops fall while I am
Burning memories
Burning all the memories of you that I can't lose
Tonight I'm burning old love letters
Photographs and memories of you
Hoping somehow I'll feel better
Burning memories
Teardrops fall while I am
Burning memories
Burning all the memories of you that I can't lose
My heart to you no longer matters
And I can't live alone with memories
Into the fire those dreams that you've shattered
And when the smoke is gone then I'll be free
Burning memories
Teardrops fall while I am
Burning memories
Burning all the memories of you that I can't lose
The lyrics of Burning Memories convey the act of burning memories of a past relationship in order to move on. The first stanza describes the act of burning memories, while the second stanza describes the specific items being burned - old love letters, photographs, and memories. The singer expresses the hope that burning these items will bring some relief and a sense of liberation from the pain and attachment of the past relationship.
The third stanza further emphasizes the need to let go of the past relationship and the pain it has caused. The singer acknowledges that their heart no longer matters to their past partner, and that living with only memories is not a viable option. The final line of the stanza, "And when the smoke is gone then I'll be free," reinforces the idea that burning the memories is a necessary step in moving on and attaining freedom.
Overall, the lyrics of Burning Memories paint a picture of the painful process of letting go of a past relationship through the act of burning physical reminders of it. The singer's hope for relief and eventual freedom is palpable, as is the sense of desperation and finality conveyed in lines such as "And I can't live alone with memories" and "Burning all the memories of you that I can't lose."
Line by Line Meaning
Burning memories
The act of getting rid of the memories of a past relationship
Teardrops fall while I am
While trying to forget about the past relationship, the person is still emotional and crying
Burning all the memories of you that I can't lose
Destroying all memories of the past relationship that are too painful to hold onto
Tonight I'm burning old love letters
Getting rid of old love letters that remind the person of the past relationship
Photographs and memories of you
Destroying photographs and other items that remind the person of the past relationship
Hoping somehow I'll feel better
Trying to move on from the past relationship and hoping it will help the person feel better
And when the smoke is gone I won't want you
After getting rid of all the reminders of the past relationship, the person will no longer want to be with their ex
My heart to you no longer matters
The person no longer cares about their ex and their past relationship
And I can't live alone with memories
The person cannot continue to dwell on their past relationship and needs to move on
Into the fire those dreams that you've shattered
Destroying all hopes and dreams that were shattered during the past relationship
And when the smoke is gone then I'll be free
After letting go of the past relationship, the person will feel free and ready to move on with their life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MEL TILLIS, WAYNE P. WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind