‘Think I'm In Love With You’ by Chris Stapleton - Lyrics & Meaning

Chris Stapleton may be known to aficionados for his fierce electric guitar riffs and his distinctive, weather-worn vocals, which often lend themselves to wistful odes to life's hardships, epitomised on ‘Cold’, ‘Daddy Don't Pray Anymore’ and ‘Watch You Burn’.

However, as his fourteen-times Platinum hit, ‘Tennessee Whiskey’, showcased, the bearded songsmith isn't afraid to dim the lights and wrap his husky vocals around a sultry, simmering love song.

‘Think I'm In Love With You’, which was released as a single ahead of Chris Stapleton's acclaimed 2023 album, Higher, epitomises this, and follows in the same thematic and sonic vein as his chart-topping Starting Over stand-out, ‘You Should Probably Leave’.

As is the case for much of Higher, Chris Stapleton's wife, Morgane, serves endearingly as the muse for ‘Think I'm In Love With You’, with the protagonist crooning charmingly about how his deep-seated affection has now bubbled uncontrollably over.

Since its release, the uptempo toe-tapper has become a staple of Stapleton's live setlist. Beyond that, the song also got a special revamp during the 2024 ACM Awards in Frisco, Texas, as the Grammy-winning artist was joined by another icon in her own right: Dua Lipa. Together, the pair gave the song a new life, their chilling vocals effortlessly combining to command the attention of attendees in The Ford Center and viewers at home alike.

It was such an iconic moment, in fact, that the pairing released their live duet version of 'Think I'm In Love With You' to streaming platforms following the award show.

The composition of ‘Think I'm In Love With You’ is relatively simple, with Chris Stapleton spreading his vocal across a spritely, energising beat and a seductive electric guitar.

Although the majority of the track keeps the passion stewing tantalisingly beneath the surface, ‘Think I'm In Love With You’ reaches its crescendo when Stapleton shifts through the gears and injects additional intensity into his vocal as he approaches the rallying cry, “Woman!”, with a sea of guitars accentuating the vigour of the moment.

As we mentioned, the Dua Lipa-graced version has its own jaw-dropping charms and moments of deliciousness, but for the sake of this piece, we'll just be focusing on the original solo version.

“Baby

Do you ever wonder

Whatever happened way back when

Or if I'll see you again

And maybe if you ever wonder

Aw, you might wish things could change

I know this might sound strange but”

The track opens with the protagonist preparing to part ways with a lover he's known for a long time, with the implication being throughout that they've been in a relationship in the past.

For whatever reason, Stapleton recalls how it didn't work out at first, as he wonders “Whatever happened way back when”, before resolving to make things different this time around.

“I think I’m in love with you

I didn’t know it at the time

I know what I want to do

It’s making me lose my mind

I thought about thinking it through and every time I do I find

I wanna make your dreams come true

I think I’m in love with you

I’m in love with you”

The big revelation arrives in the chorus, as the protagonist begins by somewhat tentatively confessing his love for the woman he's singing to. He admits that he didn't realise how powerful his feelings were for her previously, but that he's now unable to avoid them.

The inclusion of “I think” in the titular phrase introduces a sense of passivity and suggests that Chris Stapleton has well and truly fallen in love with Morgane, with the protagonist simply shrugging his shoulders as he succumbs to his emotions.

“You are the power over me

You are the truth that I believe

You are my life you are my world

You are the air I’m breathing girl

You are the light I want to see

You’re all of everything to me

You are the reasons that I am”

Towards the end of ‘Think I'm In Love With You’, Chris Stapleton rattles through a flurry of heartwarming expressions of devotion to Morgane. Despite much of the song pivoting around the early sparks of a relationship, this verse feels more clearly situated in the context of Chris and Morgane Stapleton's 16-year marriage.

Through this series of touching statements, Chris Stapleton emphasises to his wife how she is his lifeblood and “the air that I'm breathing”, with the protagonist utilising an array of colourful imagery to highlight the hold she continues to have over him.

Although Chris Stapleton is famously a man of few words, during an Apple Music interview with Kelleigh Bannen he delved into the unique experience of co-producing Higher with Morgane.

Stapleton explained, “[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...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”.

He then qualified this by underlining, “But she's invaluable as well, and she knows that as well, and we make sure that she knows that. That's a hard thing for her to navigate sometimes, to be needed in so many places… 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

Do you ever wonder

Whatever happened way back when

Or if I'll see you again

And maybe if you ever wonder

Aw, you might wish things could change

I know this might sound strange but

I think I’m in love with you

I didn’t know it at the time

I know what I want to do

It’s making me lose my mind

I thought about thinking it through and every time I do I find

I wanna make your dreams come true

I think I’m in love with you

I’m in love with you

You are the power over me

You are the truth that I believe

You are my life you are my world

You are the air I’m breathing girl

You are the light I want to see

You’re all of everything to me

You are the reasons that I am

Woman

I think I’m in love with you

I didn’t know it at the time

I know what I want to do

It’s making me lose my mind

I thought about thinking it through and every time I do I find

I wanna make your dreams come true

I think I’m in love with you

I think I’m in love with you

I didn’t know it at the time

I know what I want to do

It’s making me lose my mind, girl

I thought about thinking it through and every time I do I find

I wanna make your dreams come true

I think I’m in love with you

Oh I think I’m in love with you

I didn’t know it at the time

I know what I want to do

It’s making me lose my mind, girl

I thought about thinking it through and every time I do I find

I wanna make your dreams come true

I think I’m in love with you

I’m in love with you

I think I’m in love with you

I think I’m in love with you

I think I’m in love with you

I think I’m in love with you

I think I’m in love with you

I think I’m in love with you”

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