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.

Behind The Song

01.01.26

The Classic Rock Evergreen Tune That Greg Lake Unearthed From His Childhood

By Jim Beviglia
Behind The Song

01.01.26

Behind the Song: George Harrison Scored a Solo Hit While Celebrating Change and the New Year With “Ding Dong, Ding Dong”

By Matt Friedlander
Behind The Song

01.01.26

How AC/DC Scored Their First Big US Hit Single After a Devastating Tragedy

By Jim Beviglia
Behind The Song

12.31.25

How Stephen Stills Scored a Big Hit Thanks to a Billy Preston Phrase

By Jim Beviglia
Behind The Song

12.31.25

The Meaning Behind “Talk To You” by Sam Fender and Elton John, and How Fender’s Past Is Pushing Him Forward

By Thom Donovan
Behind The Song

12.31.25

The Pre-“Auld Lang Syne” New Year’s Eve Sing-Along Covered Centuries Later by Sinéad O-Connor, The Pogues, and More That Inspired a Bob Dylan Song

By Tina Benitez-Eves
Behind The Song

12.30.25

The 1984 Beatles Remake Ringo Starr Refused to Play on (And the Touching Way Paul McCartney Copied John Lennon)

By Melanie Davis
Behind The Song

12.30.25

Paul McCartney’s One and Only Hit on the Country Charts, A Nashville-Inspired B-Side

By Alex Hopper
Behind The Song

12.30.25

Remember When Jim Carrey Wrote a Song in Response to Gun Violence Then Performed it With The Eels on ‘Hee Haw’

By Tina Benitez-Eves
Behind The Song

12.29.25

The Pre-“Jolene” Ballad Dolly Parton Wrote to Husband Carl Dean About Her Past Lovers

By Tina Benitez-Eves
Behind The Song

12.29.25

The Iconic No. 1 Hit That Came From a Cartoon Band (and No, It’s Not Gorillaz)

By Jim Beviglia
Behind The Song

12.29.25

How Donna Summer Turned a Bathroom Encounter Into Pop Music Gold

By Jim Beviglia

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LOS ANGELES – OCTOBER 1975: Funk group "KC and the Sunshine Band" poses for a portrait on Oc tober 7, 1975 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Remember When Meat Loaf Released His Sophomore Album After Plenty of Time and Momentum Had Passed in 1981?