Remember
Disturbed
The Struggle to Forget: Analyzing Disturbed's 'Remember'
Disturbed's song 'Remember' delves into the complex emotions surrounding past trauma and the struggle to move forward. The lyrics convey a sense of overwhelming sensation and pain that the narrator has experienced long ago but now claims not to remember. This selective amnesia serves as a coping mechanism, allowing the narrator to distance themselves from the emotional devastation they once felt. The repetition of 'I don't remember' underscores the effort to suppress these painful memories, suggesting a deep internal conflict between acknowledging the past and trying to forget it.
The song also explores the theme of hiding one's true feelings behind a mask. The narrator speaks of 'holding on' and 'hiding behind the mask this time,' indicating a facade they present to the world to conceal their inner turmoil. This mask represents a barrier between their true self and the outside world, a common metaphor for the emotional armor people wear to protect themselves from further hurt. The struggle to 'try to believe' suggests a desire to convince themselves and others that they are okay, even when they are not.
In the chorus, the narrator expresses a longing to escape into themselves, to find solace within their own mind. The lines 'If I can remember to know this will conquer me' and 'If I can just walk alone and try to escape into me' highlight the internal battle between facing their pain and seeking refuge in isolation. This duality reflects the broader human experience of dealing with trauma—balancing the need to confront and process painful memories with the instinct to avoid and forget them. Disturbed's powerful lyrics and intense musical style amplify these themes, making 'Remember' a poignant exploration of the struggle to heal from past wounds.