Do You Remember
Chorus: Ben Gibbard
Do you remember how when you were youngerThe summers all lasted forever?Days disappeared into months, into yearsHold that feeling foreverVerse 1: Chance the Rapper
I remember the summer Lil' Chano got ahold of his householdThe same summer that widowed Gwyneth PaltrowBack when I could trust in my dogs like BaltoMy family The Sopranos, these niggas is altosFirst album, every track could be the outroVelcro to shelltoes, things that we will outgrowUsed to rock South Pole, summers taking the 6 bus to South ShoreNever sold out but now we out-soldThat was the summer I learned to love the great outdoorsLearned you get the feds if you can't keep yo' mouth closedThat summer left a couple marks like GrouchoThat halo can turn hollow, depending how lowThat summer left a couple tan linesI love my city they let me cut the line on the Dan RyanThey walk on eggshells and landminesThey communicate with handsignsChorus: Ben Gibbard
Do you remember how when you were youngerThe summers all lasted forever?Days disappear into months, into yearsHold that feeling foreverDo you remember how when you were youngerThe summers all lasted forever?Days disappear into months, into yearsHold that feeling foreverVerse 2: Chance the Rapper
I remember the last summer of the teensI can't recall too many summers in betweenWill Smith, Genie, Donald Glover, Lion KingMy daughter on the swing like the 2017 CubsMy daughter mother double-ringed upFinger look like jean cuffs, or two lean cupsUsed to have obsession with the "27 Club"Now I'm turning twenty-seven, wanna make it to the 2070 clubPut the 27's down, Lord, give me a clean lungTook the ring up out the box, I know this ain't no brief loveThis story arc so sharp that it made the streets floodThis the type of covenant you keep love, deep loveChorus: Ben Gibbard
Do you remember how when you were youngerThe summers all lasted forever?Days disappear into months, into yearsHold that feeling foreverOutro: Ben Gibbard & Chance the Rapper
Do you remember how when you were youngerThe summers all lasted forever? (Summer everlasting)Days disappear into months, into yearsHold that feeling foreverWhat the song means
The song is a nostalgic reflection on the summers of youth, framed by a chorus (sung by Ben Gibbard) that asks whether you remember how summers seemed to last forever when you were young. Chance the Rapper answers with verses that jump between memories: a summer that changed his life, his early years in Chicago, his first album, his daughter, and his own marriage.
The mood moves from carefree memory toward sober awareness. The verses mention growing up fast and the risks that came with it, such as trouble with the law and drinking. In the second verse, he jokes about the "27 Club," the musicians who died at that age, and says he hopes to live much longer. By the end, the focus shifts from the past to the present, to family and a lasting commitment, as he describes a ring and a promise meant to last.
The key images carry the song's emotional core. "Summers lasting forever" stands for how time feels in childhood, while the lines about days turning into months and years show time speeding up as adulthood arrives. References to places like the Dan Ryan and South Shore anchor the memories in Chicago. The repeated chorus works as a plea to hold onto that feeling even as it inevitably fades.
Key phrases explained
- Velcro to shelltoes
- Velcro-strapped sneakers, a casual look of that era — The phrase is a style reference to the everyday sneakers of his youth.
- the 27 Club
- the informal name for musicians who died at age 27 — He jokes about the club, then says he is turning 27 and wants to live far longer.
- two lean cups
- two cups of lean, a codeine-based drink — Slang for the drink, it hints at the risky habits he left behind.
- the Dan Ryan
- a major expressway in Chicago — It roots the memories in his hometown, where he feels like a local.
- walk on eggshells and landmines
- to act very cautiously around dangerous people or situations — The idiom describes the tense, careful way people around him communicate.
Song info
- Release date
- 2019-07-26
- Album
- The Big Day
- Written by
- Francis and the Lights, Peter CottonTale, Nico Segal, Nate Fox, Justin Vernon, Garren Sean
- Produced by
- Garren Sean, Nico Segal, Dwayne Verner Jr., Eric Butler, Francis and the Lights, Peter CottonTale
- Featuring
- Death Cab for Cutie
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