The band's vocalist, Robbie Grey, described England at the time of the song's writing to be a bleak place, due to an ongoing economic downturn: "There was no money.

The last thing we wanted was to write a song where boy meets girl, they go to the cinema and make love, and that's the end of it.

Producer Hugh Jones encouraged Grey to softly sing the vocal track, as opposed to his natural inclination to shout.

The song was mainly a success in the United States,[9] gaining attention over a long incubation period before becoming Modern English's and 4AD's first chart hit.

[15] The single's success drastically altered the band's experience, according to Grey: "Someone picked up an import from England and started playing it on mainstream radio in America, and it just went like wildfire.

[19] As Modern English's only major hit song, they are generally considered one-hit wonders, despite not reaching the Top 40 of the U.S.

"[14] The re-recorded edition of the song for the band's 1990 album Pillow Lips was received negatively by the Los Angeles Times's Chris Willman, who dubbed it "nearly identical yet markedly inferior.

"[1] Los Angeles Times contributor Sara Scriber wrote in 1997 that the song endured because it "struck a chord for its gothic, escapist undercurrent and danceable rhythm.

"[8] In 2017, Chrissie Dickinson of the Chicago Tribune wrote that "with its irresistible guitar melody, danceable beat and heartfelt call and response vocals, it was a piece of work that fit snugly into the era.

The original version by Modern English was largely popularized by its appearance in the 1983 film Valley Girl, in which it features in both the ending titles and in a "falling in love" montage sequence.