Because retrieval cues are important to some memories, it is possible for you to fail to recall memories due to a lack of retrieval cues. Without those retrieval cues, you may not be able to recall the memory at all. Suppose you're driving in a car with your friend and a song comes on the radio.You both start singing along and your friend turns to you and asks you the name of the singer on the song.olanda has taught college information technology and literacy, and has a master's in counseling psychology and business administration. Retrieval cues are stimuli that help you retrieve a certain memory. Learn more about retrieval cues and retrieval failure from examples, and test your knowledge with a quiz.