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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

Tim McGraw performing in 2007

Remember When Tim McGraw Got a Top 10 Hit for a Song He Didn’t Even Record in 2007?

Shania Twain Owes Her Career to This Early Song, Which Wasn’t Even a Hit

Shania Twain Owes Her Career to This Early Song, Which Wasn’t Even a Hit

Dave Loggins Created a Fictitious Person To Write His Biggest Hit

Dave Loggins Created a Fictitious Person To Write His Biggest Hit

Marianne Faithfull speaking to Brian Jones

The Rolling Stones Lyric That Marianne Faithfull Inspired After a Near-Death Experience

Scottish singer and musician Donovan performs the song 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' on the set of the BBC Television pop music television show Top Of The Pops at Lime Grove Studios in London on 30th May 1968. (Photo by Ivan Keeman/Redferns)

This Donovan Hit May (or May Not) Have Anticipated the Creation of a Legendary Hard Rock Band

More stories

  • 1971: (L-R) Dave Winthrop, Roger Hodgson, Frank Farrell, Rick Davies, Kevin Currie of the rock band "Supertramp" pose for a portrait in 1972. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

    The Supertramp Hit That Originated From an Ornate Homemade Demo

    June 16, 2026, 6:30 am

  • Paul McCartney sitting with a dog

    Paul McCartney Once Claimed “Jet” Was About an Animal, but Was It Really About His Father-In-Law?

    June 16, 2026, 6:00 am

  • Dolly Parton performing in 1977

    Dolly Parton “Begged” To Add This Instrument to One of Her Hits: “Like Her Life Sentence Was Reprieved”

  • Lorne Greene in 'Bonanza'

    This 1964 One-Hit Wonder Predated The Beatles, but the Fab Four Are Why It Remained Popular

    June 15, 2026, 2:45 pm

  • James Taylor Feels Bad About One Line in This Early Hit

    1 Comment

    James Taylor Feels Bad About One Line in This Early Hit From 1970

    June 15, 2026, 7:00 am

  • Bob Dylan recording 'Bringing It All Back Home' in 1965

    A Nearly Unnoticeable Detail on Bob Dylan’s ‘Bringing It All Back Home’ Album Cover Was Later Immortalized in This Biting 1975 Top 40 Hit

    June 15, 2026, 6:00 am

  • 3 Rock Frontmen Who Completely Changed Their Style Mid-Career

    This Aerosmith Hit Was Inspired by James Brolin and Barbra Streisand’s Love Story

    June 14, 2026, 2:00 pm

  • Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones

    The “Dirtiest Line” in The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” Went Over Everyone’s Head, According to Mick Jagger

    June 14, 2026, 12:30 pm

  • Donna Summer’s Last No. 1 Single Was Based on a Very Personal Story

    Donna Summer’s Last No. 1 Single Was Based on a Very Personal Story

  • Moody Blues, John Lodge performs on stage at Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 30th May 1981. He is playing a Rickenbacker double necked guitar. (Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns)

    The Moody Blues’ First Single of the 80s Featured a New Lineup and a New Direction

    June 14, 2026, 9:30 am

  • UNITED STATES - JANUARY 16: AMERICAN BANDSTAND - Show Coverage - 1/16/84, Matthew Wilder on the Walt Disney Television Network dance show "American Bandstand"., (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

    Matthew Wilder Channeled His Frustration With His Stalled Career Into This Big 80s Hit

    June 14, 2026, 7:00 am

  • Van Morrison performing in 1967

    1 Comment

    The 1967 Hit Song That the World Still Loves, but Van Morrison Can’t Stand Singing Anymore (And We Don’t Blame Him)

    June 13, 2026, 5:00 pm

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