The song debuted at a live performance prior to the release of ...And Justice for All while the band was on the summer Monsters of Rock Tour in 1988 with Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken and Kingdom Come.

There was an error in the mastering of the recording: At the end of "Breadfan", a distorted voice can be heard saying "Mommy, where's Fluffy?".

[citation needed] The band decided not to correct this error when the tracks were included on their 1998 Garage Inc. compilation.

The song's subject matter refers to a man who is traumatically abused during his childhood, descends into alcoholism and drug addiction, and takes out his anger on his family.

German electronic group Funker Vogt also covered the song on The Blackest Album Vol.