Written by Bryan Ferry, the song features lyrics inspired by the pressure felt by the band to complete the Siren album as well as keep up their touring obligations.

Saxophonist Andy Mackay remembered, "Toward the end of recording, we were compromised as we had been on Stranded and other albums by Bryan not having finished lyrics so that tracks got overworked as instrumentals while we were working as it were in the dark.

Ferry recalled, "We were on a punishing world tour schedule in 1975 and there were a lot of late nights to get the Siren album finished on time.

The B-side of the single was a version of their song "For Your Pleasure" recorded live at the Empire Pool Wembley in October 1975, at one of the concerts from which the Viva!

"[8] Dave Thompson of AllMusic called it "one of Roxy mach one's most unexpected triumphs" as well as "the undisputed highlight of the otherwise sorry Siren album – 'Love Is the Drug' notwithstanding.