The Story Behind “I Really Love You”
““I Really Love You” is a love song, but not like you might think. It was inspired by a platonic friendship not romance.”
“I Really Love You” is a love song, but not like you might think. It was inspired by a platonic friendship not romance. And although, I sang the song at my wedding, it wasn’t actually written for my husband. I like to tease my husband and say that while the song wasn’t written to him, it is for him! Kind of like how the Bible wasn’t written to us, but it is for us…
But how did friendship inspire a love song? Well, for context, I was in graduate school when I wrote the song. Graduate school for me was a very stressful time, but also a very creative time for me. I wrote the last single I recorded and released “To Become Human” in graduate school as well. In the busyness of graduate school, I found a sense of community in an International Bible study small group.
I never really had many friends before graduate school. As an introvert, who moved around a lot growing up, who was homeschooled at one point, I didn’t really know how to make friends. But in my International small group bible study group, all of a sudden I felt at home. I made many new friends. One friendship in particular felt like we had the potential to become best friends. I had never had a best friend before, other than when I was in grade school, and the friendship I shared with my sister. I was eager for our friendship to develop into best friendship, but it seemed like I was always the one reaching out. The friendship felt one-sided, and I was sad. As an HSP and INFP, I channeled those feelings into this song.
Songwriting is an interesting creative practice. What inspires a song to be written doesn’t necessarily mean the song is about what inspired it. For this song, that is the case. It evolved into a deeper story and more complex story of love at all levels. It was inspired by friendship and dedicated to my husband for our wedding. And to add one more extended meaning to the song, one day I was singing the song and I realized that it could also be a love song from God to us. After all, he is love. And so it would make sense that he’d love us so deeply that he’d catch us when we fall, love us when we’re sorry, hold us when we’re broken all because he really loves us.
Lyrics to “I Really Love You”
Will you love me when I say I’m sorry?
Will you miss me when they say I’m gone?
Will you catch me when I fall down?
Will you be there?
Will you hold me I’m feeling broken?
Share a smile when I’m feeling down.
Will you listen to the words that I’m saying,
I really love you.
And I’m wondering my life would be like without you.
And I’m wondering if you’re wondering what your life could be like without me.
I will love you when you say you’re sorry.
I will miss you when they say you’re gone.
I will catch you when you fall down.
I will be there.
I will hold you when you’re feeling broken,
Share a smile when I’m feeling down.
I will listen to the words that you’re saying,
Because I really love you.
I really love you.
I really love you.
I really love you.
Do you really love me?
Like I really love you.
