Song: “Dirty Little Secret”

A 2005 hit from the All-American Rejects was written to inject some spice

Songwriters Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler of the All-American Rejects were both in happy, long-term relationships with their girlfriends at the time they wrote “Dirty Little Secret,” which is about injecting some intrigue and drama into a good relationship to keep it fresh and fun — that is, pretending your sweetheart is actually your dirty little secret.

We all have dirty little secrets.

  • We’re in the midst of watching some bigger ones derail careers and reputations.

Most dirty little secrets are a little bit silly. One web site (Post Secret) encourages people to anonymously send in postcards containing a “dirty little secret.” The band used some of these in the music video, making a charitable donation to the site in exchange for their permission.

The song was the All-American Rejects’ first big hit, reaching #9 on the Billboard charts. It has been featured in numerous movies and TV shows. It was also involved in a murder trial in Texas in 2010, after a Baptist minister murdered his wife, having sent his mistress lyrics from the song, which were included in testimony.

Even the song has a dirty little secret.

Enjoy!


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