The Lyrics To Jack's Song "Memorized" On 'This Is Us' Are So Powerful
Music has always been a big part of This is Us. Rebecca Pearson (Mandy Moore), the matriarch of the Pearson clan, has struggled to build a music career throughout much of the show, and her daughter Kate (Chrissy Metz) is also a singer who has occasionally performed. So when the show introduced another singer-songwriter named Jack in the Season 4 premiere, he fit right in. He performed an original song at the end of the episode, and now fans can't stop listening, especially because it has a special meaning. The lyrics to Jack's song "Memorized" on This is Us are really powerful. Warning: Spoilers from the This Is Us Season 4 premiere episode follow.
You can't talk about Jack's song without first talking about Jack's identity. The Season 4 premiere of This is Us introduced audiences to three new characters who appeared to be strangers at the start of the episode. However, by the end of the hour, it was clear each of the new characters has a major connection to the series' main characters. When Jack's full name — Jack Damon — was announced before his performance, it became clear he's the son of Kate and Toby (Chris Sullivan) about 25 years in the future. Jack's mother and grandmother never quite reached the level of success in their music careers that either of them hoped, but it's clear from the enthusiasm of the crowd during his performance that Jack (Blake Stadnik) garnered plenty of fans in his endeavors.
According to The Wrap, Jack's song "Memorized" is co-written by This Is Us composer Siddhartha Khosla and Taylor Goldsmith, the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist from the band Dawes. Stadnik's performance of the song is already charting on the U.S. iTunes Top 20 list.
The song's lyrics touch on a lot of themes that are present throughout all of This is Us, like the idea that fate plays a role in people's lives. For instance, if Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) didn't run into a bar one night, he would have never met Rebecca and their family would have never existed. If Jack and Rebecca hadn't lost a baby, they never would have adopted Randall (Sterling K. Brown). And if Jack Damon hadn't dropped his plate one morning, he would have never gone to the diner where he met his future wife Lucy (Auden Thornton). This is Us is all about how chance encounters can change your life in the most beautiful ways, and that's also what Jack's song is about.
Verse 1
Can one wrong turn give me new direction?
Can one false move bring you one true friend?
Could a stranger ever end up being you?
Verse 2
We took it back in all directions
Reaching out towards the door
Is there a message, a pathway, of something more?
Pre-Chorus
Oh, in the quiet way you caught my eye
Oh, got enough to get you memorized
Chorus
I found my way, I found my way to you
I found my way, I found my way to you
I found my way, I found my way to you
I found my way, I found my way to you
Verse 3
I told a story before I knew the ending
I got an answer before I heard the question
How did a stranger ever end up being you?
Pre-Chorus
Oh, in the quiet way you caught my eye
Oh, got enough to get you memorized
Chorus
I found my way, I found my way to you
I found my way, I found my way to you
I found my way, I found my way to you
I found my way, I found my way to you
Chorus
I found my way, I found my way to you
I found my way, I found my way to you
I found my way, I found my way to you
I found my way, I found my way to you
The meaning behind the powerful lyrics becomes even more emotional when they're paired with the heartfelt montage of the whole Pearson family at the end of the episode.
Season 4 of This is Us continues Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
