Mitchell Tenpenny Keeps the Past in His Pocket With ‘We Got History’ [Listen]

Mitchell Tenpenny walks away from a breakup with good memories and mutual respect in "We Got History," a song that acknowledges that just because something ended, doesn't mean it's all bad.

On the contrary, the relationship Tenpenny sings about here is a cherished moment in time. He'll never forget the love he shared with this person, and she'll always remain a part of his story, even if she's only a part of his life in photographs and memories. Think of it as the young country star's answer to "I Will Always Love You" — but with less of an emphasis on the pain of walking away, and more of an emphasis on remembering the good times.

"Everybody has a story and a past," Tenpenny reflected in a statement when he first sent the song to country radio in late 2022. "You don't always have to hate where you come from. It's ok to remember who got you to where you are. There is a respect that is mature and healthy, and that's what I wanted to talk about in this song."

That same maturity gives him enough understanding to accept the nuances of the situation. In the lyrics of "We Got History," Tenpenny's able to acknowledge that "I'd be lying if I said / That you don't wind up in my head," but that doesn't mean he wants his ex back. Rather, it means that the time they shared was special to him, and he'll carry those fond memories for the rest of his life.

In real life, Tenpenny is a newlywed — he and his fellow country singer wife Meghan Patrick tied the knot in October of 2022 — but "We Got History" does apply to his personal story in another way. It follows two No. 1 hits the singer released to country radio, "Truth About You" and his Chris Young duet "At the End of a Bar," which made history as the shortest time between two No. 1 hits for the same artist in the modern chart era.

Coming off his latest album, This Is the Heavy, "We Got History" has spent 29 weeks on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, and it has cracked the Top 30. As of the chart dated July 1, the song sits at No. 28.

Mitchell Tenpenny, "We Got History" Lyrics:

We don't have each other's numbers anymore / We don't make any plans Friday night / And I won't know you when you're turning 64 / But nobody knew you better at 25

Well, I'd be lying if I said / That you don't wind up in my head / We don't dream about tomorrow like before / All we have is looking back, and that's all right

Chorus:

'Cause we got spring break '08 down in Pensacola / Drunk and singing 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' / Yeah, we got so high, first time, back of your Corolla / Told me 'Baby, don't you stop kissing me, kissing me' / I know we don't have a future anymore / But damn, we got history

Everybody's got that one they can't forget / That got away, I gotta say, you were mine / But you can't try to tell me yesterday is gone / When I still go there all the time

Repeat Chorus

Oh, you know, we got history, baby, yeah / I'd be lying if I said / That you don't wind up in my head...

Repeat Chorus

I know we don't have a future anymore / But damn, we got history / Yeah girl, we got history...