“I Remember Everything” by John Prine

Folk legend John Prine died of COVID-19 complications in April 2020, leaving behind a musical legacy that spanned generations and influenced such iconic figures as Bonnie Raitt and John Cougar Mellencamp. A former mail carrier who grew up listening to Johnny Cash, Little Richard and the Carter Family, Prine quickly gained acclaim for his wry, thoughtful songwriting and everyman appeal.

Prine was 73 when he developed COVID-19 symptoms, eventually succumbing to complications shortly after his European tour and at the beginning of the pandemic. For decades, his songs had served to shine a light on the lives, loves and sorrows of ordinary people, telling simple but meaningful stories through plainspoken verse. A few months after his death, his estate released a video of the last song he wrote, “I Remember Everything.”

Unlike his earlier song about death, “When I Get to Heaven,” “I Remember Everything” is more poignant than playful. It shows the perspective of someone looking back on a long, full life, reflecting on the memories and details that remain.

I’ve been down this road before
I remember every tree
Every single blade of grass
Holds a special place for me
And I remember every town
And every hotel room
And every song I ever sang
On a guitar out of tune

Credit: John Prine Official Facebook Page

As with so many of his songs, Prine manages to convey heartfelt emotion without falling into melancholy or over-sentimentality. This isn’t a song about how all of life is grand and we should cherish every moment, and neither is it some grim rumination on mortality. Prine looks back through the good and the bad with equal tenderness.

I remember everything
Things I can’t forget
Swimming pools of butterflies
That slipped right through the net
And I remember every night
Your ocean eyes of blue
How I miss you in the morning light
Like roses miss the dew

These last two lines are repeated three times throughout the song. This seems to be at the heart of “I Remember Everything”: At the end of life, what we remember most are the people we love and the moments we shared with them.

Prine’s death was one of hundreds of thousands of losses we felt in 2020 — to COVID-19 and to other causes as well. As many of us look ahead to a new year without someone we love, Prine’s work can give us wisdom and solace in a profoundly uncertain time.

Listen to Prine perform “I Remember Everything” in the video below.