Henley told him that he could no longer afford to charter Learjets, to which Newman sarcastically responded: "Jesus that's tough...you can't live on a million a year anymore".

This conversation, as well as "Something to Sing About", not only served as the inspiration for "I Love L.A.", but also the themes of hedonism and disillusion found in the song's parent album Trouble in Paradise.

[5] AllMusic's Matthew Greenwald believes "I Love L.A." is Newman's only attempt at writing an "anthem", as the song features an energetic and buoyant melody not commonly found in the singer's previous music.

[7] Newman begins this verse by deriding New York City as a place where "people dressed like monkeys", and saying Chicago should be left to the "Eskimos".

[8] Newman sings about rolling down the windows and pulling back the top of his convertible as he feels the Santa Ana winds brush against him.

[5] After the first chorus, the music temporarily shifts to a new section that removes the guitar and heavily emphasizes the synthesizer, before returning to its original melody.

[8] When journalist Timothy White asked whether or not "I Love L.A." was written as an insult to Los Angeles, Newman responded by saying he felt the lyrics were ambiguous.

The campaign included a commercial featuring Newman singing "I Love L.A." while Olympic athletes Mary Decker and Carl Lewis ran and jumped wearing Nike gear.

[10] When Newman was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, he performed the song alongside Tom Petty, John Fogerty and Jackson Browne.

"I Love L.A." is played following major sporting events in Los Angeles if the home team has scored or won, notably when the Dodgers, Lakers, Rams, Kings and Galaxy win.

Newman also performed the song live at Staples Center just before the 2003 Lakers home opener as the team's 2001–02 championship banner, signaling their three-peat, was unveiled.

"[21] In June 2014, as part of losing a bet with Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti on the Stanley Cup Finals between the Kings and the New York Rangers, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio sang the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, wearing an "I Love L.A." T-shirt and accompanied by disadvantaged youth from the 52nd Street Project.

[23] Following the Dodgers' victory in the 2024 World Series, Nike created an ad featuring "I Love L.A." where the staff and players were listed out in a credits style, referencing the city's role in the film industry.