‘Loving You On My Mind’ by Chris Stapleton - Lyrics & Meaning

‘Loving You On My Mind’ finds Chris Stapleton slipping into the same boots he wore for his now-iconic ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ cover, as he sweetly serenades his wife, Morgane, with the help of his trademark husky vocals and a sultry, slow-burning guitar riff.

Upon its release as part of Stapleton's acclaimed November 2023 album, Higher, ‘Loving You On My Mind’ quickly blossomed into one of the undisputed fan-favourites.

It captures the central theme of the record, with the bearded crooner dedicating Higher to Morgane. As a result, the majority of the songs serve as heartwarming odes to their marriage.

‘Loving You On My Mind’ undoubtedly draws from the same sonic palette as ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ and other Stapleton slow jams, such as ‘Higher’, ‘It Takes A Woman‘ and ‘When I'm With You’.

It's a testament to the charisma and gravitas that Chris Stapleton exudes through his distinctive weather-worn voice that he's able to carry songs such as ‘Loving You On My Mind’, despite being accompanied by minimal, understated instrumental flourishes.

Virtually all of ‘Loving You On My Mind’ consists of nothing more than Stapleton's vocals, a twangy, sensual guitar and a low-key, deliberate drum pattern.

It has the freedom and sinuous feel of a jam session that was accidentally recorded, and when Stapleton repeats the endearing titular refrain towards the end of the track, it sounds like there's nobody else in the room except him and Morgane.

“Baby, if I seem a little bit distracted

Like I'm in another place and another time, well, well, well

I apologize for the way I'm acting

I just got a lotta loving you on my mind”

Chris Stapleton begins by apologising for how frequently his mind has been wandering of late. Although the listener expects him to blame his work or other concerns, instead - ever the charmer - Stapleton reveals that he simply can't stop thinking about loving his wife.

“Ever since this morning I've been wondering

How you do that thing you did last night, well, well, well

Let me tell you, girl, that was really something

That's why I got a lotta loving you on my mind”

While this could easily come across as a somewhat corny and trite message, Stapleton delivers it with an unmistakable twinkle in his eye, so that it feels touching and genuine.

He doubles down on the sentiment of the first verse, as he explains that he can't stop thinking about the romantic evening he just spent with his wife, before emphasising that he's hoping they can share another passionate encounter before too long.

“I walk around and dream about you

Every single minute of every day

It's all I can do to make it through until the night

I can hardly wait, oh, I can hardly wait”

Chris Stapleton proceeds to underline that whatever he's doing, his mind stays locked on the prospect of another steamy evening spent with his wife, with the soulful singer-songwriter stressing that it takes everything he has to be patient until nightfall.

“Girl, the kind of loving you put on me

Ain't no way there's a better kind

Baby, just tell me when you want me

I always got a lotta loving you on my mind

On my mind”

Chris Stapleton concludes by praising Morgane as the best lover imaginable, and he surrenders himself to her will, as he pleads with her to “just tell me when you want me”.

Although Chris Stapleton is yet to comment on ‘Loving You On My Mind’ specifically, he spoke to Kelleigh Bannen on Apple Music about the experience of co-producing the entire record with his wife, “[Morgane] doesn't like the attention necessarily, and she does it because I do it. She likes to do it with me because I enjoy doing it. She would be very happy staying home and doing mom stuff, and she likes music and she is very passionate about music, but some of the other things that are the work of music are not her favorite, but she's invaluable as well, and she knows that as well, and we make sure that she knows that”.

He highlighted how respected her voice is when putting together an album, “We all know that she's the boss in the room, and if it doesn't pass her, it's not going to pass. That's the way it goes”.

“Baby, if I seem a little bit distracted

Like I'm in another place and another time, well, well, well

I apologize for the way I'm acting

I just got a lotta loving you on my mind

Ever since this morning I've been wondering

How you do that thing you did last night, well, well, well

Let me tell you, girl, that was really something

That's why I got a lotta loving you on my mind

I walk around and dream about you

Every single minute of every day

It's all I can do to make it through until the night

I can hardly wait, oh, I can hardly wait

Girl, the kind of loving you put on me

Ain't no way there's a better kind

Baby, just tell me when you want me

I always got a lotta loving you on my mind

On my mind

Loving you on my mind

I always got a lotta loving you on my mind”

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