Maggie sent out an email to fans following the release of the song, saying:

I actually wrote most of “Love You For A Long Time” the day before I wrote “Light On.” Those last days of finishing Heard It In A Past Life were such vivid and vital creative moments for me. I was dreaming up a future – for my music, for my life – and the possibilities felt endless. For various reasons, but mostly scheduling, the song was left unfinished and unrecorded, but it always stuck with me and I’ve found its melody weaving in and out of my brain for the last year and a half.
Since then, a lot has changed in my life, but one of the biggest changes has been my relationship with my band. I’ve been playing with most of my band for about three years now and over the course of touring this record we’ve become real adopted family. As we set out on our biggest tour yet this fall (I’m still playing those Radio City shows over and over again in my mind), I wanted to bring new work to our stage and give this song I love so much an arrangement that showcased the deep personal and creative bonds I’ve formed with these special people in my life.
So I wrote a bridge, finished the song, and recorded it in LA in August. I produced it with my trusted friend and collaborator Ricky Reed, with some arrangement help from the brilliant Nate Mercereau on bass and guitar.
It’s a song about love in all its forms – romantic love, the love I feel for my friends, the love I feel for my band, and the love I’ve shared with all of you. I wanted it to sound like the last days of summer. I wanted it to sound as wild and alive as new love feels.