It is September 11 and certainly a day to remember. But our Music of the Week need not dwell on a specific date 25 years ago in 21st-century history. Rather, the gentle melody and words of the song we selected invite us to look back on more innocent and carefree September memories. The choice is ours.

“Try to Remember” was written for the 1960 musical The Fantasticks, which became a legend. The original off-Broadway production ran for 42 years and over 17,000 performances, making it the longest-running musical in history. “Try to Remember” is widely considered the score’s signature moment.

Many artists recorded and covered the song over the years, including Ed Ames and Harry Belafonte. Its appeal has lasted because the subject is universal: sooner or later, everyone finds themselves looking back and wondering where the years went.

Its biggest success came in 1975, when Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded a medley, pairing it with “The Way We Were,” the theme song from Barbra Streisand’s film of the same name. Gladys Knight’s version became a genuine hit, reaching the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, and it introduced a whole new audience to the original song.