"Memory" is a show tune from the 1981 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats sung by the character Grizabella, a one-time glamour cat who is now a shell of her former self. The song is a nostalgic remembrance of her glorious past and a declaration of her wishes to start a new life. Sung briefly in the first act and in full near the end of the show, "Memory" is the climax of the musical, and by far its most popular and well-known song.
The lyrics, written by Trevor Nunn, were based on T. S. Eliot's poem, "Rhapsody on a Windy Night".
Lloyd Webber, fearing that the tune sounded too similar to a work of Puccini, asked his father's opinion. According to Lloyd Webber, his father responded, "It sounds like a million dollars!"
It is arguably Lloyd Webber's biggest hit, inspiring thousands of renditions. Notable artists who have made the song popular include Elaine Paige (the original Grizabella), Barbra Streisand, Betty Buckley (first to play Grizabella on Broadway), Barry Manilow (who sang off key toward the end of the song), Simone Simons and Petula Clark.
The song's climax is in the key of D-flat major, the composer's favorite.
The song is often incorrectly referred to as "Memories"; the correct title is the singular "Memory".
"Memory" is a single by the band Sugarcult released in 2004. The song is featured on their fourth studio album, Palm Trees and Power Lines, and also on the soundtracks for the games Burnout 3 and NHL 2005. It was also featured in the movie Lovewrecked with Amanda Bynes and Chris Carmack. An acoustic version of the song was released on Punk Goes Acoustic.
