Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah - Lyrics Meaning

Two years after its release on their 2005 album All That We Needed, the Plain White T's track "Hey There Delilah" finally became a hit, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the band's first successful single in the United States. It was also nominated for Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 2008, but didn't win either award. The song was written for Delilah DiCrescenzo, a cross country and steeplechase runner who met Tom Higgenson, lead singer of the Plain White T's, through a mutual friend while she was attending Columbia University in New York City. At their meeting, Higgenson attempted to woo DiCrescenzo by falsely stating that he had already written a song about her. She had a boyfriend at the time and turned down the singer's advances, but the two kept in touch via email and five years later the song was written. DiCrescenzo attended the 2008 Grammy Awards with Tom Higgenson, as his date. She went on to compete in the 2008 Olympic Trials for the Steeplechase, but did not make the team.