And Beaky, when you ask for people's impressions and opinions, you can't turn round and tell them they are wrong

It IS their impression, not yours... If it doesn't match what YOU think about the piece, that's valuable information. It is all too easy to assume that whatever YOU think about a piece of music you have written will be what others think. But the public (or other musicians!) have a nasty habit of making their OWN minds up

It's not your job to 'correct' their impression... it's your job to realize that what they are hearing is what they are hearing. Learning to accept criticism (and trust me, compared to the 'pro' songwriter world, you have had a VERY gentle time here! ) and to recognize it's value in giving you a less subjective impression of a song is probably the MOST important skill as a pro songwriter you can have.