Love You, Miss You, Mean It

Album

Single

Label

Capitol Nashville

Genre

Country

Entered Chart

Aug 17, 2024

Peak Date

Sep 14, 2024

"Love You, Miss You, Mean It" is a country ballad that goes beyond the usual heartbreak. It's a touching look at young love facing the harsh realities of separation. The song paints a picture of inseparable high school sweethearts forced apart by college. Luke Bryan sings of the bittersweet goodbye and their desperate attempts to bridge the distance through late-night calls (her) and longing dreams (him). Years later, a simple text reignites a spark, reminding them that even though time and life took them on different paths, their feelings haven't faded. "Love You, Miss You, Mean It" conjures up nostalgia and small-town young love - just like Bryan's early 2010s hits like "I Don't Want This Night To End," "Play It Again" and "Roller Coaster." Luke Bryan debuted "Love You, Miss You, Mean It" live on February 29, 2024, during Universal Music Group Nashville's annual luncheon at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. He then shared the performance with his fans on social media. Bryan released the song via UMG on April 5, 2024. Written by Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Jordan Minton, and Jacob Rice, "Love You, Miss You, Mean It" struck a chord with Bryan because it mirrors part of his love story with his wife Caroline. "This song was special from the first time I heard it," Bryan said. He explained how the song captures the challenges of young love, particularly the "on again, off again" cycles that many couples experience during college. "'Love You, Miss You, Mean It' is obviously about kids falling in love and that was their saying to let each other know that they loved one another," he continued. "It's about young love. It's about going off to college and trying to make that work and it not working and then going full circle. I've kind of lived that world with my relationship with my wife and I, and I know a lot of other people out there have too." Jeff and Jody Stevens produced "Love You, Miss You, Mean It." Bryan has worked with Jeff Stevens all his career and Jody Stevens joined his father in producing Bryan's albums in 2015. The musicians are: Tim Galloway: acoustic guitar Eddy Dunlap: pedal steel Jimmie Lee Sloas: bass Sol Philcox-Littlefield: electric guitar David Dorn: keyboards Evan Hutchings: drums Trey Keller: background vocals

We were small-town meant to be
My mama loved her, her daddy loved me
We'd burned up the room between her house and mine
We kiss in her driveway
And by the time I hit the highway
She called to tell me goodnight one more time

And she'd say, "Love you, miss you, mean it
Boy, I'll see you when I'm dreamin'
I can't wait to feel you hold me again
'Til then I'll be countin' down the minutes
I'll be climbin' up these walls
Your kiss, I want it, need it
Love you, miss you, mean it, baby"

When graduation came
UGA was callin' her name
We thought two hundred miles wasn't nothin' we couldn't get through
But after that first fall
The time got longer between the calls
And I couldn't help but wonder what happened to

My little love you, miss you, mean it
Girl, I'll see you when I'm dreamin'
I can't wait to feel you hold me again
'Til then I'll be countin' down the minutes
I'll be climbin' up these walls
Your kiss, I want it, need it
Love you, miss you, mean it, baby, yeah

The years went by
The pages got turned
But I never did forget about her
Late one night out of the blue
My phone lit up and my heart did too

She said, "I don't know about you
But I love you, miss you, meant it
I still see you when I'm dreamin'
I just wanna feel you hold me again
And I've been countin' down the minutes
I'll keep climbin' up these walls
Your kiss, I want it, need it
Love you, miss you, mean it, baby"

(Love you, miss you, mean it)
Love you, miss you, mean it, baby
(Love you, miss you, mean it)
Love you, miss you, mean it, baby