There are songs that tell a story, and then there are songs that become a story—etched in your heart, tied to a moment in time, like a photograph you can hear. “My Favorite Memory” by Merle Haggard is one of those rare songs that captures the essence of love in its most bittersweet form.
This isn’t just a love song—it’s a reflection, a quiet whisper of gratitude for the moments that shape a life. Haggard, with his signature smooth yet weathered delivery, paints a picture of a romance that may have ended, but still lingers in the mind like the scent of a familiar perfume or the warmth of an old embrace. It’s not about regret—it’s about holding on to the good, cherishing the beautiful, even when it’s in the past.
The lyrics unfold like pages from a personal journal, recounting simple, everyday moments—a road trip, a stolen kiss, the way she looked at him. It’s a song that makes you think about your own favorite memory, about the people who have shaped your heart, and how love, even when it fades, leaves behind something permanent.
Haggard had a way of writing songs that felt lived in, like they were carved from real experiences, and “My Favorite Memory” is no exception. It’s as much about the nostalgia as it is about the love itself. And when he sings, “You’re my favorite memory of all,” you can’t help but believe him—because we all have that one person, that one moment, that will always be with us, no matter how much time passes
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Lyrics
[Verse 1]
The first time we met
Is a favorite memory of mine
They say time changes all it pertains to
But your memory is stronger than time
[Verse 2]
I guess everything does change
Except what you choose to recall
There’s a million good daydreams to dream on
But baby, you are my favorite memory of all
[Verse 3]
Like the night we made love in the hallway
Slept all night long on the floor
Like the winter we spent on Lake Shasta
Alone and closer than ever before
[Verse 4]
And I remember that London vacation
It was you who made the whole thing a ball
There’s a million good times I could dwell on
But baby, you are my favorite memory of all
[Verse 5]
The first time we met
Is a favorite memory of mine
They say time changes all it pertains to
But your memory is stronger than time
[Verse 6]
I guess everything does change
Except what you choose to recall
There’s a million good daydreams to dream on
But baby, you are my favorite memory of all