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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

How This ‘Starsky & Hutch’ Actor Returned to His Love of Music and Scored a No. 1 Hit

The Wings Single Paul McCartney Loves Most: "I Was in a Sensuous Mood"

Paul McCartney Wrote This Underrated Gem in 2 Hours (And I Bet You Don’t Remember It at All)

Faith Hill Forever Changed Country Music With the Release of This Song

Faith Hill Forever Changed Country Music With the Release of This 1999 Hit

David Crosby Credited This Steely Dan Album With Helping Him “Stay Alive” During Struggles With Addiction

Kenny Chesney Liked This Song So Much, He Recorded It Twice

Kenny Chesney Liked This Song So Much, He Recorded It Twice

More stories

  • Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple performing

    “They Were First”: Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore Reveals the Band That Predated His “Smoke On The Water” Riff

    January 25, 2026, 1:00 pm

  • How a Songwriter’s Lack of Car Knowledge Led to a Wilson Pickett Hit

    January 25, 2026, 12:30 pm

  • One of Luke Combs’ Biggest Hits Came From the Most Unlikely Place

    One of Luke Combs’ Biggest Hits Came From the Most Unlikely Place

  • The Stray Cats Cancel Entire 2025 Fall Tour Because of Brian Setzer’s “Serious Illness”; Setzer Is “Heartbroken” and “Gutted”

    How a Jukebox in a London Bar Inspired This Early Stray Cats Hit

    January 25, 2026, 6:45 am

  • Paul Anka Wrote One of the Final Songs Buddy Holly Recorded, Released a Month Before His Death and Covered 20 Years Later by Don McLean

    January 23, 2026, 9:25 am

  • The Time Paul McCartney Notoriously No-Showed at the Beatles' Rock Hall Induction

    The Connection Between The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus,” Avant-Garde Composers, and Shakespeare

    January 23, 2026, 7:42 am

  • 5 Classic Songs by Joe Cocker in Honor of the Late Singer’s 80th Birthday

    How Joe Cocker Went Back to The Beatles’ Discography for His First US Hit

    January 23, 2026, 6:30 am

  • Australia Day 2018 - Live At Sydney Opera House - Rehearsals

    How an Australian Singer Found “Love” Everywhere, As Well as a Top 10 Spot on the US Charts

    January 23, 2026, 5:00 am

  • The Story Behind the Song That Became Blake Shelton's Surprising 31st No. 1 Hit

    The Story Behind the Song That Became Blake Shelton’s Surprising 31st No. 1 Hit

  • The Story Behind the Cyndi Lauper Classic Originally Written for and Recorded by Roy Orbison and Released Years After His Death

    January 22, 2026, 6:00 am

  • Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974

    Why the Guitar Solos in “Sweet Home Alabama” Were Almost Taken Out (And the Superstitious Reason They Weren’t)

    January 21, 2026, 9:24 am

  • The Song That Took The O’Jays to the Top of the Charts, Nearly 15 Years After They Formed

    January 21, 2026, 8:00 am

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      • Sign up for The Daily Co-Write
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  • Latest News
  • Contests
    • Song Contest
      • Enter Song Contest
      • Song Contest Winners
      • Rules and Deadlines
      • Meet the Judges
    • Lyric Contest
      • Enter Lyric Contest
      • Dream Day on Music Row
      • Lyric Contest Winners
      • 2026 Lyric Contest Judges
      • Rules and Deadlines
    • Road Ready Talent Contest
      • Enter Road Ready
      • Road Ready Winners
      • The Public’s Pick
      • Road Ready Rules and Deadlines
    • Hip Hop Contest
      • Enter The Beat4Beat Contest
    • Contest Promotions
  • Song Contest
  • Community
    • Subscribe to Magazine
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    • Foundations Songwriting Course
    • Apply To Songwriting Camps
    • Become Songwriter Member
    • Access Membership Hub
    • Manage My Subscription/Membership
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