Behind the Touching Meaning of “Thought You Should Know” by Morgan Wallen

Morgan Wallen notched his eighth Country Radio No. 1 with “Thought You Should Know.” The thought-provoking track is one of Wallen’s most introspective. He departs from his heartbreak anthems and odes to a good night out for something far more weighty.

Uncover the meaning behind the song, below.

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Behind the Meaning

What’s goin’ on, mama?
Something just dawned on me
I ain’t been home in some months
Been chasin’ songs and women
Makin’ some bad decisions
God knows I’m drinkin’ too much

Wallen dedicated this track to his mother, Leslie. The touching subject marks a shift in the country singer’s discography. Long gone are the references to beer-soaked nights out at the honky tonks. In its place, are heartfelt odes to someone near and dear.

In the opening verse, Wallen addresses the sobering realization that dawns on many young adults. While he has been living out his wild youth, his mother has been at home, worrying about him. Though he doesn’t outright say it, Wallen seems to be thanking his mother for all she has done for him while he follows his dreams.

In the chorus, Wallen starts to cut to the emotional core of the song. He sings about garnering fame and finally finding his way in life. He chalks up his success to the many prayers his mother has sent up for him. I thought you should know / That all those prayers you thought you wasted on me / Must’ve finally made their way on through, he sings.

For someone who is often out on the road, Wallen makes sure his mom knows he still thinks of home with this track.

Yeah, I know you’ve been worrying ’bout me
You’ve been losin’ sleep since ’93

Co-Writers

Wallen penned this emotional song alongside Nicolle Galyon and Miranda Lambert.

“It was one of those magic moments where everything just worked,” Lambert told American Songwriter. “[He said,] ‘I want to write a song for my mom.’ I’m like, ‘I’m all about that and you picked the two right girls.’ It just fell out.”

“I remember sitting there writing thinking, ‘You’re gonna think back on this write when you’re 80 years old because you’re with two legends at the same time,’” Galyon added. “That day was really pure because we were just writing to write. Morgan’s album was done, and Miranda wasn’t working on an album at the time, so we were just writing to write. The fact that we’re here means the song did all the work for us. We just kept finding a way through.

 “As a mom, I feel that sentiment so hard,” Galyon continued. “You’ll just never fully sleep again once you have kids.”

(Photo by Toni Anne Barson/FilmMagic)