[INTRO] You said you remember me... Funny. I thought enough time had passed for that person to disappear. [VERSE 1] I remember who I was when you first knew my name, Back when I wore every thought like I had nothing to hide, Back when I didn't think twice about the things that I said, Didn't care who I hurt, didn't care who I'd leave behind. I remember being younger and convinced I was right, Turning every little problem into something I'd fight, I remember all the nights I couldn't sit with my thoughts, So I'd find something to fill every second that I got. I remember certain people that I don't talk to now, I remember how I treated them, I wonder if they remember, I remember making promises I knew I wouldn't keep, Then convincing myself that I had reasons for it. I remember the confidence that wasn't really confidence, The attitude, the distance, the way I wouldn't open up, I remember acting like I never needed anybody, When underneath it all I probably needed someone. I remember looking in the mirror and knowing something changed, But I didn't have the words for it, so I blamed everybody else, I remember thinking I'd eventually grow out of it, Never realizing I'd have to actually become somebody else. [VERSE 2] Years went by and I started leaving pieces of me behind, Or at least that's what I told myself every time I crossed a line, New people, different places, different stories that I told, Trying to introduce myself without explaining who I was before. I learned how to keep certain memories out of conversation, Learned exactly what to say and what deserved no explanation, If somebody asked about the past, I'd give them what they needed, Not necessarily the truth, just enough to make them leave it. Because I remember everything. That's the part nobody knows. I remember things I never mention, Things I never let show. I remember how I felt. I remember what I wanted. I remember being convinced that I'd never be somebody different. And sometimes I wonder if the people from back then would even recognize me now, or if they'd look at me and laugh because underneath all the changes I'm still the same person somehow. Maybe that's why hearing you remember me felt stranger than I expected. Because you didn't meet the person I've become. You met the person I'm trying to understand. [HOOK] I thought you forgot me, I was kinda hoping you did. Not because I don't remember, I just don't like who I was then. I've changed since you knew me, but some things don't disappear. You remembered who I used to be, and suddenly he was here. [VERSE 3] I remember the little things that nobody else would notice, The way I used to talk, the way I carried all that poison, The things that seemed important that don't matter anymore, The person I was becoming before I knew what it was for. I remember having dreams that I eventually abandoned, Remember certain versions of myself I couldn't stand then, Remember wanting to be understood while giving nothing back, Wanting people to know me while keeping every door locked. I remember every time I thought I finally figured it out, Every time I changed direction, every time I had my doubts, Every version of myself that I swore was finally gone, Only to recognize him when another year moved on. That's the fucked-up part about becoming somebody new, You don't get to choose which memories follow you, You can change your habits, change your circles, change your view, But the person you remember will always know you were you. So when you said, "I think I actually remember you," I didn't know whether to laugh or ask exactly what you remembered. Did you remember the person I was? Or just the person I wanted everyone to think I was? Because there's a difference. And I know it better than anybody. [VERSE 4] I don't miss everything about him, but I can't say I hate it all, Because some of the things I became started with who I was. Some of the confidence came from arrogance, Some of the strength came from pain, Some of the walls I built to protect myself became the things I couldn't escape. I remember being angry before I knew what anger meant, Remember feeling misunderstood before I understood myself, Remember blaming everybody else because it hurt less than admitting some of the damage came from me as well. And that's something I couldn't outrun. Not the memories. Not the mistakes. Not the person staring back at me every time I recognized my own face. I could've moved across the world and he'd still know where I live. Could've changed everything around me and he'd still know what I did. Because the past doesn't need to follow me. It doesn't need a voice. It doesn't need a face. I remember him. That's enough. [FINAL HOOK] I thought you forgot me, I was kinda hoping you did. But hearing you remember made me remember him. I've changed since you knew me, and I'll probably change again. But no matter who I become, I'll remember who I was then. [OUTRO] You remember me
