‘This Is Us’ Season 6: Dissecting Rebecca’s Song, ‘The Forever Now’
NBC’s This Is Us Season 6 Episode 13 featured Kate Pearson’s wedding. The entire family attended, including Kate’s mother, Rebecca Pearson, who has Alzheimer’s disease. While Rebecca’s deteriorating state became a focus in the episode, she brought everyone back to the present with her beautiful song, “The Forever Now.” Here’s what the song means.
[Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead for This Is Us Season 6 Episode 13, “Day of the Wedding.”]
Rebecca Pearson’s Alzheimer’s disease continued to worry her loved ones in ‘This Is Us’ Season 6 Episode 13
Rebecca Pearson’s Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis has been a major part of her storyline. And it came up during Kate’s wedding to Phillip in This Is Us Season 6 Episode 13. TVLine notes Miguel talked about how worried he felt for Rebecca, as her disease gave him “whiplash.” During a scene in the episode, Rebecca worried everyone even more by commenting, “I just can’t wait for your father to get here,” to Randall and Kevin.
Randall becomes deeply upset when he sees Rebecca’s mental health declining. And Kate also tells Phillip she’s concerned about Rebecca. She’s unsure if her mother can perform her song, “The Forever Now,” with her current cognitive abilities.
“This is a melody she’s played us since we were kids, and if something goes wrong, she’ll be utterly devastated,” Kate tells Phillip.
When Rebecca finally has her moment to perform, she doesn’t know where she is at first. But once she sees the keys, muscle memory takes over. She performs her song for Kate’s wedding, inducing tears in all who listened.
‘The Forever Now’ lyrics refer to Rebecca’s Alzheimer’s disease
Kate Pearson says her mother sang the melody of “The Forever Now” during Kate’s childhood. But “The Forever Now” lyrics reference fleeting moments and time flying by too fast. While the melody might be one that Kate remembers, we wouldn’t be surprised if Rebecca changed the lyrics to fit her current situation. The first lyrics are:
They say time will tell
But I think he likes to keep secret
So we’ll wait and see
But it’s just as well the years can be counted in seconds
That’s fine with me
Cause I get this moment with you forever now
It all hits me at once forever now
If there’s a right way to say it, I’m still learning how
Maybe all that we have is forever now
Rebecca has trouble with memories, and she likely knows her health will continue to decline. The lyrics showcase how she’s aware she doesn’t have all the time in the world to spend with her family, but she accepts this. The only time that matters is the present time with them — the “forever now.”
I’ve been looking for words
For feelings that shouldn’t get spoken
It’s something that’s true
I’m starting to learn that silences shouldn’t be broken
Just listened to
I get this moment with you forever now
It all hits me at once forever now
These lyrics indicate Rebecca’s OK with taking more time to listen than speak. She values the relationship she has with her family, and she has a lot of learning to do. She seems to tell Kate she’s still learning as she goes, and the most precious moments are the ones spent with loved ones.
‘The Forever Now’ is also the ‘This Is Us’ theme song
Not only is “The Forever Now” in This Is Us Season 6 Episode 13 a beautiful song with heartfelt lyrics that fans can dissect, but it’s also the This Is Us theme song.
“It’s my understanding that Dan [Fogelman] always had the idea for the song to come around in a more fully realized form,” Rebecca actor Mandy Moore told People.
Moore noted bringing the song to life was an “emotional” experience for her. “It was emotional to really put into context just how much of their lives have changed, including Rebecca’s declining health,” she added. “It’s not a fun space to live in as an actor, knowing this is the reality for millions of men and women and their loved ones in the throes of the reality of this disease.”
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