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Behind The Song

We here at American Songwriter are obsessed with uncovering the meaning behind our favorite songs. Below, you’ll find deep dives into big hits, deep cuts, and everything in between.

Latest stories

FRANCE - DECEMBER 08: Kool And The Gang On Stage On December 8th, 1986 In Paris,France (Photo by Frederic REGLAIN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Kool & The Gang’s Last Top 40 Hit Marked the End of a Specific Era of the Band

English singer, musician and songwriter Howard Jones during a performance, UK, 14th March 1985. (Photo by Stoddart/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Howard Jones’ First US Top 40 Hit Established Him as a Promoter of Positivity

The Who performing in 1968

The Who Flop That the Band Wished Pete Townshend Would’ve Just Given To Small Faces Instead

The Cars in late 70s

“Way Too Much”: This 1979 Track by The Cars Was More Sarcastic Than Most People Realized

Jackson Browne’s First Hit Single Was Inspired by a Temporary Loss of Vision

Jackson Browne’s First Hit Single Was Inspired by a Temporary Loss of Vision

More stories

  • Kenny Rogers Was Supposed To Record This Song, Which Became a Big Hit for Reba McEntire Instead

    Kenny Rogers Was Supposed To Record This Song, Which Became a Big Hit for Reba McEntire Instead

    June 6, 2026, 11:00 am

  • 1986: Swedish singer of rock band Europe, Joey Tempest (Photo by BSR Agency/Gentle Look via Getty Images)

    How the Band Europe Turned a Keyboard Riff Into Glam Metal Gold

    June 6, 2026, 9:30 am

  • Pop group the Bee Gees posed with a stuffed polar bear in an office in London circa April 1968. Members of the band are, from left, Colin Petersen, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb (1949-2003), Robin Gibb (1949-2012) and Vince Melouney. (Photo by Ivan Keeman/Redferns)

    The Mysterious Bee Gees Hit That Became a Signature Song for Robin Gibb

  • The Doors (L-R Robby Krieger, John Densmore, Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek, house band at the Whisky a Go Go pose for a portrait in My 1966 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

    The Doors Once Got Fired From a Residency at Whisky a Go Go (And the Song That Sealed Their Fate Became Legendary)

    June 5, 2026, 6:30 pm

  • 3 Rock Songs From 1965 With Openings You Instantly Recognize

    Is “Gimme Shelter” the Rolling Stones’ Scariest Song To Date?

    June 5, 2026, 4:37 pm

  • Gloria Estefan Says This Early Dance Hit Is One of the Most Important Songs of Her Career

    Gloria Estefan Says This 1984 Dance Hit Is One of the Most Important Songs of Her Career

    June 5, 2026, 7:00 am

  • Rod McKuen appears on stage, London, 1969. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)

    1 Comment

    The Hit 1969 Ballad From a Famous Songwriter and an Upstart Artist

    June 5, 2026, 6:30 am

  • Shania Twain Wrote One of Her Biggest Hits for Celine Dion

    Even Diehard Fans Might Not Know That Shania Twain Wrote One of Her Biggest Hits for Celine Dion

    June 4, 2026, 10:00 am

  • Sting Calls This Massive Hit “Rather Evil,” Inspired by His Divorce

    How a Fancy Car Helped Sting’s Last Top 40 Hit Reach Its Chart Potential

  • UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 01: Photo of Robert PLANT; performing live onstage c.early 2000s (Photo by Jon Super/Redferns)

    Robert Plant’s First US Top 40 Hit Found Him Escaping the Echoes of Led Zeppelin

    June 4, 2026, 6:30 am

  • Brian Johnson singing

    When AC/DC Hired Brian Johnson, He Flat-Out Refused to Sing One of the Band’s Biggest Hits

    June 3, 2026, 4:15 pm

  • Aerosmith performing in 1975

    How Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” Hinted at Band-Threatening Feuds (That Weren’t Even Between Band Members)

    June 3, 2026, 12:30 pm

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