Did you know that Chris Stapleton’s “Maggie’s Song” is actually a sweet tribute to his lab-terrier mutt?

The country star definitely knows there’s nothing quite like a man’s best friend, bringing companionship, fun, and joy to our lives. So, when Maggie died in 2019, Stapleton and his family were racked by grief and loss. She’s been with the Stapletons for the past 14 years, ever since they found her abandoned in a shopping cart at one parking lot.

With such painful loss, Chris Stapleton knew right then and there he had to write a song just for her. After all, “She was a member of the family, and she deserved a song,” the singer said

He based “Maggie’s Song” on their real-life story where he’ll introduce you to the “fuzzy black pup” they brought home and will take you to a farm where the family’s four-legged friend kept his kids safe from harm. The song went on as Shelton tells the playful relationship Maggie shared with his five children, like how she “took off like a bullet” to play in the snow.

And, of course, he recalls the day she died on a rainy Monday morning. It’s indeed one of the most emotional country songs about dogs, with Stapleton singing over a gentle melody that blends guitar and piano with the soothing vocals of his wife, Morgane.

Out of Chris Stapleton songs, the singer admits this is one of the most personal tracks and even the toughest to do from his Starting Over album. In fact, he got choked up while recording it.

You can listen to Chris Stapleton’s “Maggie’s Song” in the video below. If you haven’t grabbed a box of tissues, you may want to do that as the lyrics are not for the faint of heart!