Verse 1: Why can't I forget like I should? Heaven knows I would if I could, But I just can't keep you off my mind. Tho' you've gone and love was in vain, All around me you still remain; Wonder why fate should so unkind. Ev'ry sunset too, Memories of You. Here and there, ev'rywhere, Scenes that we once knew, And they all just recall Memories of You. How I wish I could forget Those happy yesteryears, That have left a rosary of tears. Your face beams in my dreams, Spite of all I do! Ev'rything seems to bring Memories of you. [Verse 2] Though for years we've been far apart, Time heals ev'ry thing but my heart, That still aches for you the same old way. Seems I can't escape from the apst, And your spell keeps holding me fast; Each tomorrow is like yesterday. [Chorus] Waking skies at sunrise, Ev'ry sunset too, Ev'ry sunset too, Memories of You. Here and there, ev'rywhere, Scenes that we once knew, And they all just recall Memories of You. How I wish I could forget Those happy yesteryears, That have left a rosary of tears. Your face beams in my dreams, Spite of all I do! Ev'rything seems to bring Memories of you. "Memories of You" is a classic jazz standard composed in 1930 by the pioneering Black songwriting duo Eubie Blake and Andy Razaf (who wrote lyrics). It is considered a cornerstone of the Great American Songbook. The song was written for the Broadway musical revue "Lew Leslie's Blackbirds" of 1930. The song has been interpreted by hundreds of artists since, across various genres: Benny Goodman, Thelonious Monk, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and The Ink Spots. In May 2025, Lana Del Rey and Jon Batiste performed the song at a Met Gala afterparty as a tribute to the duo's influence on "Black Broadway". It is consistently ranked among the top 100 jazz standards (often around #83) for its "emotional depth and melodic elegance".
