Maggie's Song

Album: Starting Over (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Chris Stapleton and his wife Morgane bid farewell to their beloved family dog in 2019 when she passed away aged 14. He penned this tribute to their "fuzzy black pup" the day after her death.
  • Stapleton starts off the song by recounting finding Maggie abandoned in a shopping cart, and the playful relationship the pup shared with their five children. After the Stapletons moved to a ranch, Maggie "loved to chase squirrels" and kept their kids "safe from harm."

    Stapleton then tells the tear-jerking story of the day of Maggie's death. He recalls how one rainy Monday morning their dog woke up and found she couldn't stand. She laid her head in the singer's hand one last time. "I told her she was a good dog," he croons. "Then I told her goodbye."

    "That one was hard to sing," Stapleton told the LA Times. "I kept crying through a lot of it."
  • Written by Stapleton along with his longtime producer Dave Cobb, the song features Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on piano, Wurlitzer and Hammond B3.
  • Chris Stapleton performed the song with special guest Miranda Lambert during the 2021 ACM Awards. Lambert filled in for Morgane Stapleton, who was on "baby watch" as Chris' sister-in-law was in labor.

Comments: 4

  • Richard from TexasThis song hit home with me as well and like Chris I can't get through it without crying. I change the words to my dogs name and honor his memory.
  • Madgeballard from ScI truly visualized this song. It definitely made the tears flow!
  • Jan Breedon from Oregonlike millions of fans this song touched me. two days ago my precious dog friend of 15 years was passing away i sang this to her putting her name Fiona in the chorus and held her as she died. the song helped me get through that moment i dreaded so much. Run Fiona Run. thank you Chris. sincerely Jan Breedon
  • Kb from Marathon, FlI lost my dear dog Daisy in 2020. When I heard this I wept.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80s

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80sSongwriter Interviews

'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.