[8][9] Ed Robertson wrote the ideas for the non-rap "choruses" with the concept being the structure of a fight where the protagonist knows they're wrong and is just trying to save face.

The instrumental parts are played by band members, notably Ed Robertson on guitar, and Kevin Hearn sometimes on guitar and sometimes on keyboards; as well, while Hearn was away from touring shortly after the song's release, his place at shows was taken by one of two other musicians on keyboards who each added their own unique parts to the song, helping to shape its live sound early.

The song is rife with pop culture references including Aquaman, Swiss Chalet, sushi and wasabi, Busta Rhymes, LeAnn Rimes, Bert Kaempfert, milkshakes, the film Vertigo, A Tribe Called Quest's song "Scenario", The X-Files and its character, The Smoking Man, the film Frantic and its star Harrison Ford, Sting and tantric sex, Snickers, Akira Kurosawa, golf clubs, Sailor Moon, Birchmount Stadium and its annual Robbie International Soccer Tournament.

[10] Because of the song's pop culture references and fast-paced, nearly rapped vocals, it is similar in style to "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" by the band Reunion.

It is typically used in a new performance setting they developed on the Peepshow Tour that year, in which they play acoustically while they stand around and sing into one omni-directional microphone.

AllMusic's Liana Jonas called the song, "a well-crafted recording, which marries words that are funny and endearing with clever and bouncy music.

During the interlude they make an escape and sing while driving a lookalike of the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard (using the numbers 07 instead of 01, minus the Confederate flag on the roof, and a 1968 rather than 1969 model year) and Starsky & Hutch's Ford Gran Torino.

The song appears as a recurring element of the mashup album Mouth Moods by American musician Neil Cicierega.