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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.

More stories

  • 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

  • 3 Rock Songs That Sound Like Riding Home After a Concert at Midnight

    How a Trip to Brazil and Hank Williams Inspired This Classic Rolling Stones Track From 1969

  • Emmylou Harris Channeled Her Heartbreak Into a Song That Was Covered by Dolly Parton and Joan Baez

    Emmylou Harris Channeled Her Heartbreak Into a Song That Was Covered by Dolly Parton and Joan Baez

    June 13, 2026, 2:00 pm

  • Most People Misunderstand the Message Behind This Hit Elton John Single

    The Elton John Song That Was Inspired by Bernie Taupin’s Failed Romance With Cher

    June 13, 2026, 1:00 pm

  • Barry Manilow and Glen Campbell Passed on What Became a Big Crossover Hit for Kenny Rogers

    Barry Manilow and Glen Campbell Passed on What Became a Big Crossover Hit for Kenny Rogers

    June 13, 2026, 11:00 am

  • Hank Williams portrait from the late 1940s

    The Hank Williams Classic That Everyone Tried To Convince Him Not To Record (And Why He Ignored Them)

    June 12, 2026, 6:14 pm

  • NEW YORK - JULY 1965: Country singer Johnny Cash warms up backstage at the New York Folk Festival in July of 1965 at Carnegie Hall in New York, New York. (Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

    The Story Behind the Enigmatic British Character That Johnny Cash Reinvented for Country Music

    June 12, 2026, 7:56 am

  • Stevie Wonder’s Mother Helped Him Write This Hit Single

    Stevie Wonder’s Mother Helped Him Write This Hit Single in 1970

  • (MANDATORY CREDIT Ebet Roberts/Getty Images) American singer-songwriter and guitarist Chrissie Hynde performing with rock group The Pretenders, USA, 1994. (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns/Getty Images)

    How Some Outside Help Spurred on The Pretenders’ Final Top 40 Hit

    June 12, 2026, 6:30 am

  • Carole King’s First No 1 Hit Was a Complete Accident

    Carole King’s First No. 1 Hit Was a Complete Accident

    June 11, 2026, 10:00 am

  • American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, Dr. John performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, 1st July 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)

    How Dr. John Brought His Heady Musical Stew to the Mainstream With a Top 10 Hit in 1973

    June 11, 2026, 8:30 am

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  • Features
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    • Digital Cover Exclusives
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    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
      • 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
      • Promotion Winners
  • Song Contest
  • Community
    • Subscribe to Magazine
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
    • Foundations Songwriting Course
    • Apply To Songwriting Camps
    • Pass The Mic Songwriter Series
    • Become Songwriter Member
    • Access Membership Hub
    • Manage My Subscription/Membership
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