It was released on April 11, 2000, by record label DreamWorks as the second and final single from his fifth studio album, Figure 8.

The song was not about the real life "Son of Sam", serial killer David Berkowitz.

A music video was directed by Autumn de Wilde for the song, featuring intermittent black and white stop frames.

Smith is seen following a red balloon that moves by itself; this concept resembles that of the 1956 French film The Red Balloon, although de Wilde notes in the photo-book Elliott Smith that the video was inspired by the 1962 French film La jetée.

"[6] Elliott performed "Son of Sam" live on tour in support of Figure 8, both with an electric band and solo with an acoustic guitar.