Twenty years after Darryl Worley released “Have You Forgotten?” in 2003, the country singer has returned to ask the question again with a reimagined title and revamped lyrics in “Have We Forgotten?”
Videos by American Songwriter
I hear people saying our best days are gone / A people once united can’t even get along / A nation so divided, a country torn in two / It’s such a shame after all that we’ve been through.
We’ve always been a beacon, the world’s one shining light / Are we gonna let it all go wrong for the sake of being right?
Have we forgotten who we really are? / All the storms we’ve had to weather and how we ever got this far / Have we forgotten how it used to be / When we could still sit down together and agree to disagree / And the common good was what we had in common /Have we forgotten? Worley sings to kick off the track.
The post-9/11 anthem, “Have You Forgotten?” followed one of the biggest tragedies to face the United States, and worked its way into the hearts of many Americans. Two years later, the song was a reminder to not forget the day that terrorists took over our airplanes and crashed them in different locations throughout the country, including the Twin Towers in New York.
“Have You Forgotten?” became Worley’s biggest hit to date, topping Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in only its fifth week and reigned for seven weeks, according to a press release. Worley revisited the tune, with songwriters Wynn Varble and Noah Gordan, to add a modern-day perspective on its original themes for a reimagined version.
“One of the first times we played ‘Have You Forgotten?’ live back then was on the Grand Ole Opry. The incredible response we received from that performance is how it all started,” recalled Worley. “We recently decided to sit down and write a new lyric for the song that’s appropriate for this day and time with what’s happening in our country today. For the new version ‘Have We Forgotten,’ we wanted to be certain we said what we were truly feeling in our hearts and didn’t compromise what we believe in, which is exactly how it went down with the original. I’m very proud of the message of the song.”
Worley took to Instagram to share the moment he performed “Have You Forgotten?” on the Grand Ole Opry stage in 2003 alongside his recent 2023 appearance performing “Have We Forgotten?” on the same stage.
“Then 2003 ▶️ Now 2023!” Worley wrote. “Debuting Have You Forgotten in 2003 on the @opry stage to 20 years later debuting Have We Forgotten just recently in 2023 on that same stage is a humbling honor! The Opry is forever etched as a pivotal part of my best career moments and I’m thankful! Have We Forgotten is out today! It’s a new message of heartfelt introspection born much like the first song out of love for this nation and its people!”
Check out “Have We Forgotten?” below.
Courtesy of The Valory Music Co.
