Maroon 5’s “Memories” Lyrics Meaning

On “Memories”, Adam Levine is addressing a close friend whom he obviously has been separated from for some time. And it is obvious that he sorely misses this individual. Moreover, the way the narrative plays out is not necessarily as if this person is dead, although it can be understood as such.

Rather it is up to the listener to apply their own interpretation to the track as to why the person who is relaying these sentiments has been devoid of the company of a loved one for so long that now he is forced to rely on “memories” of the two of them being together.

First Verse

Adam and co. relay this message from two opposite though equally-effective perspectives. In the first verse the singer thinks back to a day when he “did not know pain” and “believed in forever”. He was happy and supremely optimistic. But in the present when someone even utters the name of the addressee, he sinks into a depression. This would imply that one of the reasons the aforementioned days were happier ones was because at the time the addressee was actually present.

Second Verse

In contrast, he begins the second verse by recounting an earlier era when he “felt so lost” and dealt with a harrowing level of negativity. It is arguably that this sentiment is actually a continuation of the one which concluded the first verse. And he closes this section by alluding to the idea that he has discovered newfound hope. And this hope is because of the prospect of once again reuniting with the addressee.

Pre-Chorus and Chorus

All of this brings us to the pre-chorus, which the singer approaches by acknowledging the inevitable pains which life sometimes brings our way.  However, he anticipates that ‘everything is going to be alright’, as in circumstances ultimately working out for the best.

Heart of “Memories”

Then the chorus itself brings us to the heart of the song. It is set in the scenario where the singer is enjoying some drinks while in the company of cherished friends, whom he expresses a heartfelt appreciation for. But the situation (i.e. intoxication and camaraderie) also causes “memories” to swirl up, in which he remembers loved ones who aren’t around.

In that regard, what the entire song ultimately boils down to is once again his desire to reunite with the aforementioned individuals. These are individuals whom his relationship with – for whatever reason – now only consists of memories as opposed to actual contact.

So perhaps the final thesis of this song is that despite missing the addressee, the singer is still in relatively-good cheer as he is confident that they will be reunited soon.

“Here’s to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you’re not
‘Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we’ve been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
‘Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you”

What Adam Levine said about “Memories”

According to Levine, this song is dedicated to everyone who has ever lost someone very dear to them. The song is about Maroon 5’s manager and personal friend of Levine, Jordan Feldstein. Jordan died in December of 2017.

Release Date of “Memories”

Maroon 5 released this single on the 20th of September, 2019. The release was done through 222 Records (which was co-founded by Adam Levine) and Interscope Records.

As of the time of the release of “Memories”, it wasn’t associated with any album. However, it later went on to serve as the first single from the band’s seventh studio album (which is titled “Jordi”).

First Single for 2019

“Memories” holds the distinction of being the first single Maroon 5 released in 2019. It was the first the song they released since their 2018 multi platinum Grammy nominated song with Cardi B titled “Girls Like You“.

Writing Credits for “Memories”

“Memories” was written by Adam Levine and five other songwriters. These writers are listed below:

• J. Hindlin
• J. Bellion
• V. Ford
• M. Pollack
• S. Johnson
• J. Johnson

NOTE: The songwriter J. Bellion is none other than the noted American singer and rapper Jon Bellion who gained worldwide stardom with his 2016 hit “All Time Low”.

Levine is the only member of Maroon 5 to be officially credited as a co-writer of this track.

Who produced “Memories”?

Adam Levine handled its production along with the American Grammy Award-winning production/songwriting group called The Monsters and the Strangerz. It should be noted that some members of this group also co-wrote the track.

And by the way, this isn’t the first time Levine and Maroon 5 are working with this production/songwriting team. The band has worked with them several times in the past.

Song Structure

“Memories”, which begins with a chorus and ends with an outro, has the following structure:

1. Chorus
2. Verse 1
3. Pre-Chorus
4. Chorus
5. Post-Chorus
6. Verse 2
7. Pre-Chorus
8. Chorus
9. Post-Chorus
10. Outro

Does Maroon 5 feature Jon Bellion or any other artist on “Memories”?

Singer/rapper Jon Bellion is only one of the track’s writers. Neither him nor any other artist is officially featured on “Memories”.