title: Unable to parse JSON data with PHP
body: <p>I'm trying to parse some JSON data for an application I'm building, but I can't seem to get it to work. I have used this code before, but it isn't working on this API. Here's my code.</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;?php
      $json_string = file_get_contents("http://api.genius.com/songs/542383?access_token=MY_ACCESS_TOKEN"); 
      $data = json_decode($json_string, true);
      foreach($data["response"]['song'] as $item) {
          echo $row['description']['children'];
      }
  ?&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I've quoted the JSON at the end of the question. It's valid according to <a href="http://jsonlint.com" rel="nofollow">http://jsonlint.com</a>.</p>
  
  <p>I've also tried using this code, but with no luck.</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;?php
  $link = "http://api.genius.com/songs/542383?access_token=MY_ACCESS_TOKEN";
  $json = file_get_contents($link);
  $obj = json_decode($json);
  
  echo $obj-&gt;response-&gt;song[0]-&gt;description-&gt;children;    
  ?&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I'm sure it's something small, but I can't figure it out.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>This is the JSON:</p>
  
  <pre><code>{
     "meta":{
        "status":200
     },
     "response":{
        "song":{
           "annotation_count":24,
           "api_path":"/songs/222926",
           "description":{
              "dom":{
                 "tag":"root",
                 "children":[
                    {
                       "tag":"p",
                       "children":[
                          "As the debut UK single from ",
                          {
                             "tag":"a",
                             "attributes":{
                                "href":"http://genius.com/artists/The-vamps"
                             },
                             "data":{
                                "api_path":"/artists/72916"
                             },
                             "children":[
                                "The Vamps"
                             ]
                          },
                          ", “Can We Dance?” introduces audiences to the group’s fun, catchy sound. The song was featured on the band’s debut album, appropriately named ",
                          {
                             "tag":"a",
                             "attributes":{
                                "href":"http://genius.com/albums/the-vamps/meet-the-vamps"
                             },
                             "data":{
                                "api_path":"/albums/94381"
                             },
                             "children":[
                                {
                                   "tag":"em",
                                   "children":[
                                      "Meet The Vamps"
                                   ]
                                },
                                ","
                             ]
                          },
                          " and was released September 29th, 2013 in the boys' native United Kingdom."
                       ]
                    },
                    "",
                    {
                       "tag":"p",
                       "children":[
                          "In the song, Brad, James, Connor, and Tristan find themselves at a party and are drawn to one particular girl. They’re desperate for their crush to notice them, and use the party as an excuse to flirt, being that they’re drunk and could easily ask her to dance."
                       ]
                    }
                 ]
              }
           },
           "embed_content":"&lt;div id='rg_embed_link_222926' class='rg_embed_link' data-song-id='222926'&gt;Read &lt;a href='http://genius.com/The-vamps-can-we-dance-lyrics'&gt;“Can We Dance?” by The Vamps&lt;/a&gt; on Genius&lt;/div&gt; &lt;script crossorigin src='//genius.com/songs/222926/embed.js'&gt;&lt;/script&gt;",
           "featured_video":false,
           "full_title":"Can We Dance? by The Vamps",
           "header_image_thumbnail_url":"https://images.genius.com/b3a99070078ce4c6d98fc3dc5ebdacb9.300x300x1.jpg",
           "header_image_url":"https://images.genius.com/b3a99070078ce4c6d98fc3dc5ebdacb9.618x617x1.jpg",
           "id":222926,
           "media":[
              {
                 "type":"audio",
                 "provider":"spotify",
                 "url":"https://open.spotify.com/track/5plDUEEu4r5YEzHL8IhOs1",
                 "native_uri":"spotify:track:5plDUEEu4r5YEzHL8IhOs1"
              },
              {
                 "type":"video",
                 "provider":"youtube",
                 "url":"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqSww10eeKw",
                 "start":8
              }
           ],
           "path":"/The-vamps-can-we-dance-lyrics",
           "pyongs_count":18,
           "recording_location":null,
           "release_date":null,
           "song_art_image_url":"https://images.genius.com/b3a99070078ce4c6d98fc3dc5ebdacb9.618x617x1.jpg",
           "stats":{
              "accepted_annotations":1,
              "contributors":13,
              "hot":false,
              "iq_earners":13,
              "pageviews":10990,
              "transcribers":1,
              "unreviewed_annotations":22,
              "verified_annotations":0
           },
           "title":"Can We Dance?",
           "url":"http://genius.com/The-vamps-can-we-dance-lyrics",
           "current_user_metadata":{
              "interactions":{
                 "pyong":false,
                 "following":false
              },
              "relationships":{
  
              },
              "permissions":[
                 "see_pageviews",
                 "create_comment"
              ]
           },
           "album":{
              "api_path":"/albums/94381",
              "cover_art_url":"https://images.genius.com/b3a99070078ce4c6d98fc3dc5ebdacb9.618x617x1.jpg",
              "id":94381,
              "name":"Meet The  Vamps",
              "url":"http://genius.com/albums/The-vamps/Meet-the-vamps",
              "artist":{
                 "api_path":"/artists/72916",
                 "header_image_url":"https://images.genius.com/4575ab8cdc593ab6d4427716b28bda13.525x350x1.jpg",
                 "id":72916,
                 "image_url":"https://images.genius.com/4575ab8cdc593ab6d4427716b28bda13.525x350x1.jpg",
                 "is_verified":false,
                 "name":"The Vamps",
                 "url":"http://genius.com/artists/The-vamps"
              }
           },
           "custom_performances":[
  
           ],
           "description_annotation":{
              "_type":"referent",
              "annotator_id":1620931,
              "annotator_login":"BTMN_Gaming",
              "api_path":"/referents/3664740",
              "classification":"accepted",
              "fragment":"Can We Dance?",
              "id":3664740,
              "is_description":true,
              "path":"/3664740/The-vamps-can-we-dance/Can-we-dance",
              "range":{
                 "content":"Can We Dance?"
              },
              "song_id":222926,
              "url":"http://genius.com/3664740/The-vamps-can-we-dance/Can-we-dance",
              "verified_annotator_ids":[
  
              ],
              "annotatable":{
                 "api_path":"/songs/222926",
                 "client_timestamps":{
                    "updated_by_human_at":1464755813,
                    "lyrics_updated_at":1464755813
                 },
                 "context":"The Vamps",
                 "id":222926,
                 "image_url":"https://images.genius.com/b3a99070078ce4c6d98fc3dc5ebdacb9.618x617x1.jpg",
                 "link_title":"Can We Dance? by The Vamps",
                 "title":"Can We Dance?",
                 "type":"Song",
                 "url":"http://genius.com/The-vamps-can-we-dance-lyrics"
              },
              "annotations":[
                 {
                    "api_path":"/annotations/3664740",
                    "body":{
                       "dom":{
                          "tag":"root",
                          "children":[
                             {
                                "tag":"p",
                                "children":[
                                   "As the debut UK single from ",
                                   {
                                      "tag":"a",
                                      "attributes":{
                                         "href":"http://genius.com/artists/The-vamps"
                                      },
                                      "data":{
                                         "api_path":"/artists/72916"
                                      },
                                      "children":[
                                         "The Vamps"
                                      ]
                                   },
                                   ", “Can We Dance?” introduces audiences to the group’s fun, catchy sound. The song was featured on the band’s debut album, appropriately named ",
                                   {
                                      "tag":"a",
                                      "attributes":{
                                         "href":"http://genius.com/albums/the-vamps/meet-the-vamps"
                                      },
                                      "data":{
                                         "api_path":"/albums/94381"
                                      },
                                      "children":[
                                         {
                                            "tag":"em",
                                            "children":[
                                               "Meet The Vamps"
                                            ]
                                         },
                                         ","
                                      ]
                                   },
                                   " and was released September 29th, 2013 in the boys' native United Kingdom."
                                ]
                             },
                             "",
                             {
                                "tag":"p",
                                "children":[
                                   "In the song, Brad, James, Connor, and Tristan find themselves at a party and are drawn to one particular girl. They’re desperate for their crush to notice them, and use the party as an excuse to flirt, being that they’re drunk and could easily ask her to dance."
                                ]
                             }
                          ]
                       }
                    },
                    "comment_count":0,
                    "community":true,
                    "id":3664740,
                    "pinned":false,
                    "share_url":"http://genius.com/3664740",
                    "state":"accepted",
                    "url":"http://genius.com/3664740/The-vamps-can-we-dance/Can-we-dance",
                    "verified":false,
                    "verified?":false,
                    "votes_total":2,
                    "current_user_metadata":{
                       "interactions":{
                          "vote":null,
                          "cosign":false,
                          "pyong":false
                       },
                       "permissions":[
                          "create_comment"
                       ]
                    },
                    "authors":[
                       {
                          "attribution":0.9484536082474228,
                          "pinned_role":null,
                          "user":{
                             "api_path":"/users/1873201",
                             "avatar":{
                                "tiny":{
                                   "url":"https://images.rapgenius.com/avatars/tiny/35d9463bfb54e2d3d9fb261fc6ef2174",
                                   "bounding_box":{
                                      "width":16,
                                      "height":16
                                   }
                                },
                                "thumb":{
                                   "url":"https://images.rapgenius.com/avatars/thumb/35d9463bfb54e2d3d9fb261fc6ef2174",
                                   "bounding_box":{
                                      "width":32,
                                      "height":32
                                   }
                                },
                                "small":{
                                   "url":"https://images.rapgenius.com/avatars/small/35d9463bfb54e2d3d9fb261fc6ef2174",
                                   "bounding_box":{
                                      "width":100,
                                      "height":100
                                   }
                                },
                                "medium":{
                                   "url":"https://images.rapgenius.com/avatars/medium/35d9463bfb54e2d3d9fb261fc6ef2174",
                                   "bounding_box":{
                                      "width":300,
                                      "height":400
                                   }
                                }
                             },
                             "header_image_url":"https://images.rapgenius.com/avatars/medium/35d9463bfb54e2d3d9fb261fc6ef2174",
                             "human_readable_role_for_display":"Editor",
                             "id":1873201,
                             "iq":18561,
                             "login":"VinylKilljoy_MCR",
                             "name":"VinylZombie_MCR",
                             "role_for_display":"editor",
                             "url":"http://genius.com/VinylKilljoy_MCR"
                          }
                       },
                       {
                          "attribution":0.051546391752577324,
                          "pinned_role":null,
                          "user":{
                             "api_path":"/users/1620931",
                             "avatar":{
                                "tiny":{
                                   "url":"https://assets.genius.com/images/default_avatar_16.png?1465401450",
                                   "bounding_box":{
                                      "width":16,
                                      "height":16
                                   }
                                },
                                "thumb":{
                                   "url":"https://assets.genius.com/images/default_avatar_32.png?1465401450",
                                   "bounding_box":{
                                      "width":32,
                                      "height":32
                                   }
                                },
                                "small":{
                                   "url":"https://assets.genius.com/images/default_avatar_100.png?1465401450",
                                   "bounding_box":{
                                      "width":100,
                                      "height":100
                                   }
                                },
                                "medium":{
                                   "url":"https://assets.genius.com/images/default_avatar_300.png?1465401450",
                                   "bounding_box":{
                                      "width":300,
                                      "height":400
                                   }
                                }
                             },
                             "header_image_url":"https://assets.genius.com/images/default_avatar_300.png?1465401450",
                             "human_readable_role_for_display":null,
                             "id":1620931,
                             "iq":38,
                             "login":"BTMN_Gaming",
                             "name":"BTMN_Gaming",
                             "role_for_display":null,
                             "url":"http://genius.com/BTMN_Gaming"
                          }
                       }
                    ],
                    "cosigned_by":[
  
                    ],
                    "verified_by":null
                 }
              ]
           },
           "featured_artists":[
  
           ],
           "primary_artist":{
              "api_path":"/artists/72916",
              "header_image_url":"https://images.genius.com/4575ab8cdc593ab6d4427716b28bda13.525x350x1.jpg",
              "id":72916,
              "image_url":"https://images.genius.com/4575ab8cdc593ab6d4427716b28bda13.525x350x1.jpg",
              "is_verified":false,
              "name":"The Vamps",
              "url":"http://genius.com/artists/The-vamps"
           },
           "producer_artists":[
  
           ],
           "song_relationships":[
              {
                 "type":"samples",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              },
              {
                 "type":"sampled_in",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              },
              {
                 "type":"interpolates",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              },
              {
                 "type":"interpolated_by",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              },
              {
                 "type":"cover_of",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              },
              {
                 "type":"covered_by",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              },
              {
                 "type":"remix_of",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              },
              {
                 "type":"remixed_by",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              },
              {
                 "type":"live_version_of",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              },
              {
                 "type":"performed_live_as",
                 "songs":[
  
                 ]
              }
           ],
           "verified_annotations_by":[
  
           ],
           "verified_lyrics_by":[
  
           ],
           "writer_artists":[
  
           ]
        }
     }
  }
  </code></pre>