"The Memory Remains" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica, with British singer Marianne Faithfull on backing vocals.

The lead single from Metallica's seventh studio album, Reload, released in 1997, it was first performed live in a "jam" version on July 2, 1996.[2] Marianne Faithfull was brought in as James Hetfield felt her "weathered, smellin'-the-cigarettes-on-the-CD voice" fit what he described as "the whole eeriness of the Sunset Boulevard-feel of the song", given the lyrics tell the story of a faded artist who goes insane from losing her fame.[3] The spoken words "Say yes, at least say hello", during the outro, are a reference to The Misfits, the last complete movie in which Marilyn Monroe starred.[4]

The song was written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. It can be heard playing in the strip club Bada Bing! in the episode of The Sopranos, "The Knight in White Satin Armor". It is also used as one of the theme songs for WrestleMania XXVIII.

Asked if he would have bought Reload, bassist Jason Newsted said, "Not if I heard 'The Memory Remains' first."

Lyrics

Fortune fame mirror vain gone insane
But the memory remains
Heavy rings on fingers wave
Another star denies the grave
See the nowhere crowd cry the nowhere tears of honor
Like twisted vines that grow
Hide and swallow mansions whole
And dim the light of an already faded prima donna
Fortune fame mirror vain gone insane
Fortune fame mirror vain gone insane
But the memory remains
Heavy rings hold cigarettes
Up to lips that time forgets
While the hollywood sun sets behind your back
And can't the band play on
Just listen, they play my song
Ash to ash Dust to dust Fade to black
Fortune, fame mirror vain gone insane (insane)
Fortune, fame mirror vain gone insane
Dance little tin goddess
na na da
Drift away fade away
Little tin goddess
Ash to ash dust to dust fade to black
Fortune, fame mirror vain gone insane (insane)
Fortune, fame mirror vain gone insane
But the memory remains
Ash to ash dust to dust fade to black
The memories remain yeah
To this faded prima donna yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Dance little tin goddess dance
na na da
(Say yes, at least say hello) (na ra ra na da da da) na na da
(Say yes, at least say hello) (na ra ra na da da da) na na da

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