Jones penned the song herself, revealing in a 2010 interview that it was written about Tyrone Downie of Bob Marley's The Wailers, who "was with somebody else.

[3][4] Jones' mother Marjorie provided backing vocals but, as a pastor's wife, wasn't credited for fear of upsetting church elders.

The iconic image on the single cover was created by Jean-Paul Goude, who was the singer's partner at that time and worked on some of her record artworks.

[8] A slightly different, shorter version of the video was included on the A One Man Show VHS release in 1982.

In Japan, "My Jamaican Guy" was featured in the television commercial for the Ezaki Glico chocolate brand Aphros, in which a Japanese actress Yūko Tanaka appeared.