Old Dominion’s ‘Memory Lane’ Is the Most Devastating Kind of Heartbreaker [Listen]

Old Dominion's new song "Memory Lane" is bittersweet defined. A warm, traveling guitar beat drives you to a second verse that lets you down easy. Like the lover singer Matt Ramsey is describing, the beat just keeps on driving after that.

It's the most heartbreaking kind of heartbreaker. There's no hope of a reunion between two lovers. There's nothing to hint that after the sorrow subsides he'll love again. Instead, "Memory Lane" finds a man content in never moving on. A vague melancholy defines him, which is one heck of an unsettling prospect for the romantic.

Like the best country songs, the story unfolds across three minutes — kind of risky in a swipe up society. Ramsey does a great job holding back powerful emotions that would squash the slow, lingering burn of this first taste of a new OD project. In a word, "Memory Lane" is restrained, which is perfect for the scene they're creating.

Did You Know?: Old Dominion's Matt Ramsey, Brad Tursi and Trevor Rosen wrote "Memory Lane" with songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon, whose hits include "10,000 Hours" and "Rich."

Listen To Old Dominion, "Memory Lane":

Old Dominion, "Memory Lane" Lyrics:

If I could buy a house on Memory Lane / I’d put my money down and I’d sign my name / On that little corner lot, where it don’t ever rain / We’d stay good as new, like a fresh coat of paint / You’d be mine in the shine of the front porch light / Yeah I might as well live there baby / That’s where I spend most of my time.

Chorus:
Thinking about those sunsets that bled into jean jacket nights / Those tangled up mornings lost in paradise / Still drunk on the feeling when I close my eyes / You’re pulling me closer, your head on my shoulder / We’d never let go and we’d never be older.

If I could buy a house on Memory Lane / I wouldn’t have to wonder if you missed me the same / I’d be loving as usual, telling you you’re beautiful / I’d be happily delusional.

Repeat Chorus

Repeat Chorus

If I could buy a house on Memory Lane / I’d put my money down and I’d sign my name / On that little corner lot, where it don’t ever rain / And baby me and you would never fade, never fade.

We’d never fade. Never fade, never fade.