After serving as the frontman of bluegrass group The SteelDrivers from 2008 to 2010, Stapleton released his debut studio album Traveller in 2015, which reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Among several accolades, he won the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards for Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, and the Grammy Award for Best Country Album and Best Country Solo Performance at the 58th annual ceremony. His second studio album, From A Room: Volume 1 was released on May 5, 2017, reached number two on the US Billboard 200, and to date has surpassed 500,000 units sold. Six months later, Stapleton released follow-up album, From A Room: Volume 2, which, like its predecessor, debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200.
Stapleton was born in a Lexington, Kentucky hospital. His mother worked at the local health department and his father was a coal miner. He comes from a family of coal miners.[12][13] He has an older brother and younger sister.[14][15]
Stapleton grew up in the small town of Staffordsville, Kentucky, which is located just outside of Paintsville, located between the city and the Paintsville lake. He graduated from Johnson Central High School where he was his class valedictorian and attended Vanderbilt University where he studied engineering, but dropped out after a year.
Stapleton is married to singer-songwriter Morgane Hayes, who co-wrote Carrie Underwood's 2006 single "Don't Forget to Remember Me". She had a recording deal with Arista Nashville. The couple met when they were working at adjacent publishing houses. They have two children and live in Nashville.
Them Stems
Chris Stapleton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, that's the kinda shape I'm in
I'm in a bad, bad way again
'Cause this morning I smoked them stems
My dealer, he's been out of town
And that's really got me down
I hope he ain't up in the pen again
This morning I smoked them stems
Yeah, that's the kinda shape I'm in
I'm in a bad, bad way again
'Cause this morning I smoked them stems
My baby, she done said goodbye
And all I ever do is cry
There ain't nothing round the house now to make me grin
'Cause this morning I smoked them stems
This morning I smoked them stems
Yeah, that's the kinda shape I'm in
I'm in a bad, bad way again
'Cause this morning I smoked them stems
I called up this buddy of mine
'Cause we always had a real good time
I was hoping I could bum a toke off of him
But this morning he smoked them stems
This morning I smoked them stems
Yeah, that's the kinda shape I'm in
I'm in a bad, bad way again
'Cause this morning I smoked them stems
This morning I smoked them stems
The lyrics to Chris Stapleton's song "Them Stems" describe the singer's current state of despair and reliance on marijuana to cope with his problems. He mentions that he is in a "bad, bad way again" and has resorted to smoking weed from the leftover stems because his dealer is out of town. The situation is made worse by the fact that his girlfriend has left him, leaving him isolated and alone. The singer even reaches out to a friend in the hopes of finding a way to escape his troubles, but that plan falls through when he discovers that his friend has also smoked all of his weed.
The song is a commentary on the cyclical nature of addiction and coping mechanisms, as the singer is shown to be caught in a self-destructive trap of drug use and emotional turmoil. The repetition of the line "this morning I smoked them stems" reinforces the idea that the singer is stuck in a pattern of behavior that he cannot break free from. The song's melancholy tone and minimal instrumentation reflect the somber emotions of the lyrics, creating a poignant portrait of a troubled individual.
Line by Line Meaning
This morning I smoked them stems
I resorted to smoking the leftover scraps of my marijuana, indicating a low point in my life.
Yeah, that's the kinda shape I'm in
Smoking stems is a sign of my desperation and deteriorating mental state.
I'm in a bad, bad way again
My life is in a downward spiral and my drug use is only making it worse.
'Cause this morning I smoked them stems
The stems are all that I was left with, and I smoked them out of desperation.
My dealer, he's been out of town
My drug supplier is unavailable, increasing my sense of helplessness.
And that's really got me down
The absence of my dealer is causing me to sink deeper into despair.
I hope he ain't up in the pen again
I am worried that my dealer has been arrested, adding to my distress.
My baby, she done said goodbye
My romantic partner has left me, adding to the overall sense of loss and loneliness.
And all I ever do is cry
I am consumed with sadness and cannot stop crying.
There ain't nothing round the house now to make me grin
Even the things that once brought me joy no longer have the same effect.
I called up this buddy of mine
I reached out to a friend in the hopes of getting some relief from my problems.
'Cause we always had a real good time
I am nostalgic for the good times I used to have with this friend.
I was hoping I could bum a toke off of him
I was hoping to get some marijuana from my friend.
But this morning he smoked them stems
Unfortunately, my friend had also resorted to smoking stems and could not help me.
This morning I smoked them stems
The repetition of this line emphasizes the desperation and hopelessness of the situation.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ALVIN STAPLETON, JIMMY STEWART, SHAWN CAMP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Northern Lad
Ladies and gentlemen we're witnessing the resurrection of country music. Great job as always Chris!
Steven Sigmon
I like Lily Rose & Kane Brown too.
Kathy fugitt
Oh me heβs so good !
Kathy fugitt
dan mason lord heβs great π
Shawn Vance
dan mason Tyler Childers and Chris Stapleton will bring back the real stuff and save us
Stephen Gibson
I spent my childhood forced to listen to country music thanks to my dad, I hated it! Then this genius pops up and I'm totally blown away and a huge fan of country! Damn u Stapleton!
Amy McGee
Me too! At the time hated to get in the car with my parents because country music. Now I listen to country everyday. Some days the songs my Dad loved the most
Lady Jane
This ainβt Kitty Wells or Porter Wagnor!
GOGMOTIS
Stapleton is the cut above the rest. His PBS concert is so God Damn Fucking epic
Brother C
Cus this morning he smoked them stems