'I Remember Everything': The Story Behind the Hit Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves Duet

On Sept. 8, 2023, Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves began a very swift journey to the top of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Their single "I Remember Everything" debuted at No. 1, making it the latest pop chart-topper in 2023 by country artists. Morgan Wallen ("Last Night"), Jason Aldean ("Try That in a Small Town") and Oliver Anthony ("Rich Men North of Richmond") had reached the same pinnacle already, with Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" reaching No. 1 before year's end.

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It was the first No.1 pop hit for both artists. Musgraves had cracked the Top 60 solo (2013's "Follow Your Arrow") and shared a No. 21 hit with a long list of artists for 2016's star-studded collaboration "Forever Country." Bryan had fared better in his short mainstream run, reaching No. 10 solo with "Something in the Orange" as well as No. 42 with Maggie Rogers ("Dawns") and No. 14 with Noah Kahan ("Sarah's Place"), No. 17 with The Lumineers ("Spotless") and No. 14 with The War and Treaty ("Hey Driver").

Though "I Remember Everything" spent just one week at No. 1, its brief stay on top spoke volumes about the sustained star power of Musgraves and the commercial viability of Bryan's raw, folksy take on country music.

Read on to learn more about one of the best country collaborations in recent memory.

Who Wrote 'I Remember Everything'?

"I Remember Everything" is a Bryan and Musgraves collaboration in every sense. They co-wrote it together, making it the first pop No. 1 written by either artist.

Initially, the song having the same title as a completely different John Prine song caused confusion. After all, Prine was a mentor to Musgraves and seems like a likely inspiration for Bryan's songwriting. For this reason, Bryan considered changing his and Musgraves' song's title, but as he told Rolling Stone, that ultimately didn't "sit right" with him.

"I Remember Everything" reminds us once again that Bryan's not just a great songwriter — he's also an elite storyteller and a poet of the first order. He pulled it off this time by working with someone who's proved to have the same skill set over the past decade. Both shine as vocalists as well, while trading verses and telling the same story from differing perspectives.

Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Chase deserves a lion's share of the credit for the haunting backing track. He's credited with playing violin, viola and cello across the 16-song album Zach Bryan.

What Is 'I Remember Everything' About?

The song's poetic prose is sung from the perspective of two former lovers. Though the two voices share differing perspectives, there's a sense that both feel pain over what's been lost.

Who or what inspired the song remains a mystery. One thing's for certain: Musgraves turned in a chart-topping vocal performance while under the weather.

"Thank you, @zachlanebryan for having me collab on this gorgeous song. I definitely pulled some of my own life into it," Musgraves wrote on Instagram. "Fun fact, y'all: I had full blown strep when I recorded this song but somehow I pushed through. So it's confirmed: this song is sick as f--k."

Zach Bryan's Penchant for Collaborating

As mentioned above, Bryan makes a habit of working with other artists. His self-titled 2023 album alone features guest appearances by Musgraves ("I Remember Everything"), The Lumineers ("Spotless"), The War and Treaty ("Hey Driver") and, for a fourth charting single, Sierra Ferrell ("Holy Roller").

This hasn't always been the case. A previous album, 2022's 34-song Goliath American Heartbreak, featured zero collaborators or co-writes.

Grammy Recognition

In 2024, "I Remember Everything" will be up for two country category Grammy awards. It's up for Best Country Song, which goes to songwriters, against Tyler Childers' "In Your Love," Brandy Clark's "Buried" and Chris Stapleton's "White Horse" — all of which sound like Grammy-worthy material. It's in the running for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, with the other nominees being Stapleton and Carly Pearce's "We Don't Fight Anymore"; awards show favorites Brothers Osborne's "Nobody's Nobody"; Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson's "Save Me"; Billy Strings and Dierks Bentley's "High Note"; and Paul Franklin and Grammy pace-setter Vince Gill's "Kissing Your Picture (is So Cold)." This, too, is a hard race to predict.

Before this year, Bryan had just one Grammy nomination: Best Country Solo Performance for "Something in the Orange."

Musgraves has fared better. Her number of nominations grew this year to 14. She has six wins overall. She's taken home Best Country Album twice (Same Trailer, Different Park and Golden Hour) and Best Country Song twice ("Merry Go 'Round" and "Space Cowboy"). In addition, she won Best Country Solo Performance for "Butterflies" along with the most prestigious Grammy trophy of them all, Album of the Year, for Golden Hour.

'I Remember Everything' Lyrics

Rotgut whiskey's gonna ease my mind
Beach towel rests on the dryin' line
Do I remind you of your daddy in his '88 Ford?
Labrador hangin' out the passenger door
The sand from your hair is blowin' in my eyes
Blame it on the beach, grown men don't cry
Do you remember that beat down basement couch?
I'd sing you my love songs and you'd tell me about
How your mama ran off and pawned her ring
I remember, I remember everything

A cold shoulder at closing time
You were begging me to stay 'til the sun rose
Strange words come on out
Of a grown man's mouth when his mind's broke
Pictures and passin' time
You only smile like that when you're drinking
I wish I didn't, but I do
Remember every moment on the nights with you

You're drinkin' everything to ease your mind
But when the hell are you gonna ease mine?
You're like concrete feet in the summer heat
It burns like hell when two souls meet
No, you'll never be the man that you always swore
But I'll remember you singin' in that '88 Ford

A cold shoulder at closing time
You were begging me to stay 'til the sun rose
Strange words come on out
Of a grown man's mouth when his mind's broke
Pictures and passin' time
You only smile like that when you're drinking
I wish I didn't, but I do
Remember every moment on the nights with you

Cold shoulder at closing time
You were begging me to stay 'til the sun rose
Strange words come on out
Of a grown man's mouth when his mind's broke
Pictures and passin' time
You only smile like that when you're drinking
I wish I didn't, but I do
Remember every moment on the nights with you

Rotgut whiskey's gonna ease my mind
Beach towel rests on the dryin' line
Do I remind you of your daddy in my '88 Ford?
Labrador hangin' out the passenger door

READ MORE: 8 Breakout Country Artists of 2023 -- And Why They're Ones to Keep Watching in 2024