August 20 [10:00 EDT] -- Debating the "true" meaning of songs is a pastime as old as music itself, but its taking a new twist with Matchbox 20's hit "Push." [1MB QuickTime]

Just as feminist watchdogs claim the song endorses girl-bashing, reports are seeping out of the Matchbox 20 camp that singer Rob Thomas (who wrote the song) is being harassed for royalties by an ex-girlfriend who claims the song is a tell-all about her (if inspiration entitles someone to song royalties, the guy who prompted Alanis Morissette to write "You Oughta Know" is sitting on a goldmine).

For his part, Thomas says the song is actually about his own mistreatment at the hands of love.

"It was actually about a relationship I was in and how I was being manipulated," Thomas told MTV News. "Actually, when I wrote it, I was in that relationship at the

time, and I couldn't really write it, sing to this person, 'You're controlling me.' It turned out to be turned around and put to another person. [1.8MB QuickTime] And then I wound up writing it from three different. points of view. The song comes in from 'he said,' to 'I said,' to 'we said.' It was just meant to confuse, that was the purpose, but it was always about emotional manipulation."

Fans in Pittsburgh will get the chance to look for the song's real message when Matchbox 20 plays there on Wednesday. Here's where they will be after that: