‘Love You Anyway’ by Luke Combs - Lyrics & Meaning

Over the last few years, Luke Combs has cemented himself as one of the leading figures in modern day country music.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2017, the Charlotte, North Carolina native has consistently pumped out hit after hit, helping shape the country format that we know today, all while selling out stadiums all around the world.

When it came to his latest pair of albums, Growin' Up, and its counterpart, Gettin' Old, the records showcased a new side of the larger-than-life singer-songwriter. Combs, now 33, began to settle down and start a family alongside his wife, Nicole. With a boy under two and another on the way in September, the albums reveal a more thoughtful and wiser Combs, as evidenced on several of the project's 30 tracks.

Growin' Up birthed a trilogy of hits, including 'Doin' This', 'The Kind of Love We Make' and 'Going, Going, Gone', which marked his 13th, 14th and 15th No. 1s, respectively. Upon Gettin' Old's release, though, a singular radio single wasn't immediately present.

With two major frontrunners among his legion of listeners, '5 Leaf Clover' and 'Love You Anyway,' Combs left it up to his fans to decide his next single, in an unprecedented social media poll. By only a small margin, 'Love You Anyway' proved victorious and was shipped out to country radio on April 15, steadily climbing the charts in the weeks since.

'Love You Anyway' possesses some interesting production choices from the 'Beautiful Crazy' singer, namely centering around a lone fiddle, helmed by iconic studio musician Stuart Duncan, that sits at the forefront of the song, commanding the listeners' attention.

On an overly stripped-back tune, Combs' gravelly, weather-worn vocals take their place out front alongside the fiddle, with not much else but a low drum beat and some acoustic guitar accoutrements.

Most of the production elements of 'Love You Anyway' point to a traditional country sound, which is a style that Combs has stuck to across his discography, though songs like 'The Kind of Love We Make' have certainly taken a trip to more R&B pastures.

The tune was written by Combs with some of his trusty co-writers, Dan Isbell ('The Kind of Love We Make') and Ray Fulcher ('When It Rains It Pours,' 'Even Though I'm Leaving'). Combs was also behind the soundboard for 'Love You Anyway' with Chip Matthews and longtime collaborator Jonathan Singleton, who was the key mastermind behind the entirety of Gettin' Old.

Singleton has been an ever-present figure throughout Combs career and has been credited as a producer and/or composer on each of Combs' four records. Beyond that, Singleton was also a co-writer on the mega-hit 'Beer Never Broke My Heart,' 'Cold As You,' 'Houston, We Got A Problem, 'Must've Never Met You' and many more of Combs' songs.

"If your kiss, turned me to stone
I'd be a statue standing tall in ancient Rome
And if your touch, shattered me like glass
I'd be in pieces tryin' to make the breakin' last"

From a lyrics perspective, 'Love You Anyway' is your average, run-of-the-mill love song, which Combs has quite a few of (mostly about his wife Nicole, whom this song was written for). This one, though, provides some of the most stunning imagery and flowery prose from all of the 'Hurricane' tunesmith's discography.

Painting a picture of the stone statues present in ancient Rome and elsewhere, Combs uses the metaphor that their love is so intense that it can make him both strong and steady, but can also break him down in an instant.

"There's just some things that leave a man no choice
Like a compass needle needin' it's true north
Even if I knew, the day we met, you'd be the reason this heart breaks
Oh, I'd love you anyway"

Getting into the chorus, Combs essentially explains that their love is endless, unwavering and unavoidable.

With the understanding that their relationship might one day fizzle out and ultimately lead to his heartbreak, 'Love You Anyway' hinges on the fact that Combs will choose to love her, no matter what the circumstances may be.

"I know just tryin' to write a song
I run the risk that I could get your perfect wrong
And well I guess, what I'm tryna' say
Is there ain't words been made could shoulder so much weight"

The Grammy-nominated entertainer unveiled in an interview earlier this year that he originally posted a teaser on socials the day that the trio wrote the song back in 2020, but it never really amounted to anything. He explained, "It didn’t really get the response I thought it was going to get. A couple years later, I think we put it on TikTok or something, and people were freaking out over it. It’s interesting. That’s probably the first song of mine that I’ve seen work like that".

'Love You Anyway' has quickly become a staple among Combs' World Tour 2023 setlist, which is currently making its way across the U.S. and Canada. The hit-in-the-making is climbing the country charts and has already notched the 15th spot after only eight weeks.

Another stunning song in Luke Combs' arsenal of oozing, heartfelt ballads, 'Love You Anyway' will be marking his 16th trip to the top of the charts in no time.

"[Verse 1] If your kiss, turned me to stone
I'd be a statue standing tall in ancient Rome
And if your touch, shattered me like glass
I'd be in pieces tryin' to make the breakin' last

[Pre-Chorus] If it took one look to turn my days to night
At least I'd have the stars, the sparkle in your eyes

[Chorus] There's just some things that leave a man no choice
Like a compass needle needin' it's true north
Even if I knew, the day we met, you'd be the reason this heart breaks
Oh, I'd love you anyway

[Verse 2] I know just tryin' to write a song
I run the risk that I could get your perfect wrong
And well I guess, what I'm tryna' say
Is there ain't words been made could shoulder so much weight

[Pre-Chorus] And if you turned your back on me and walked away
Not a thing about the way I feel would change

[Chorus] There's just some things that leave a man no choice
Like a compass needle needin' it's true north
Even if I knew, the day we met, you'd be the reason this heart breaks
Oh, I'd love you anyway

[Chorus] There's just some things that leave a man no choice
Like a compass needle needin' it's true north
Even if I knew, the day we met you'd be the reason this heart breaks
Oh, I'd love you anyway

[Outro] Even if I knew, the day we met you'd be the reason this heart breaks
Oh, I'd love you, anyway"

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