Bryan Adams has disclosed that his hit song 'Summer of 69' is not in fact about the year 1969.
The 62-year-old Canadian musician's chart-topping anthem became an instant hit when it was released nearly four decades ago, in 1984.
The song appeared on Adams' album Reckless before being released as a fourth single the following year. It was written by the singer and his longtime collaborator Jim Vallance.
But while people have long sung the words of the song, assuming that it’s all about childhood innocence, it turns out it was an ode to something else entirely.
Check out the song below:The music video features Adams walking down a street with his guitar while his band performs in an old garage, as he sings: "I got my first real six-string/ Bought it at the five and dime / Played it 'til my fingers bled / Was the summer of 69."
Another moment in the video shows Adams spending "evenings down at the drive-in" cinema, which is where he meets the love interest in the song.
"Standin' on your mama's porch / You told me that you'd wait forever / Oh, and when you held my hand / I knew that it was now or never / Those were the best days of my life / Oh, yeah / Back in the summer of 69," he continues.
The lyrics also illustrate how the two lovers were "young and restless" and "needed to unwind", singing: "I guess nothing can last forever."
Back in 2008, the 'I Do It For You' musician did an interview with CBS News and was innocently asked by reporter Maggie Rodriguez if the song was "biographical" to Adams' life.
Adams replied: "Well the song, actually... people think it’s about the year, but actually it’s more about a... it’s more about making love in the summertime."
"It’s using 69 as a sexual reference," he added, in this context, "69" is the sexual position in which both people give and receive oral sex simultaneously.
Rodriguez awkwardly replied: "Ahh. Okay... Didn’t know that," while Adams lightly clasped her hand and joked "It's morning, I can talk about it right?"
According to Loudersound, the singer said the song is "autobiographical," adding: "The imagery in the song is about romance, nostalgia, being a struggling musician and making love."