"I have a hot memory, but I know I've forgotten many things, too, just squashed things in favor of survival"

This quote by Iggy Pop speaks with the idea of survival being a priority in life. He acknowledges that he has a good memory, but also recognizes that he has forgotten many things in order to survive. This recommends that he has actually had to make challenging decisions in order to stay alive, and that he has actually had to release some memories in order to do so. This might be analyzed as a metaphor for the struggles of life, and how often we have to make challenging decisions in order to survive. It could also be viewed as a pointer to value the memories we have, and to recognize that sometimes we need to release some in order to progress. Eventually, this quote speaks to the idea that survival is a top priority, and that often we need to make challenging choices in order to stay alive.