[5] Orzabal wrote the song in June 1987 during the week of the UK General Election in which Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Party won a third consecutive term in office.

"[6][a] Elsewhere, the song takes a dig at fellow musician Paul Weller with the line "Kick out the style, bring back the jam" as Orzabal felt Weller had lost touch with his working class political outlook after the dissolution of his previous band The Jam in lieu of the less political material he was writing with his current band The Style Council.

[9] It was then tracked at Townhouse Studios with Orzabal on electric piano and vocals, Curt Smith on bass guitar, Chris Hughes on drums, and Ian Stanley on Hammond organ.

[9][10] David Bascombe, who served as the engineer and producer for these sessions, said that he tried to coax Stanley into overdubbing another take on Hammond organ, but he expressed no interest in doing so.

Bascombe, recalled that the band derived the tempo from a parody of "I Am the Walrus" titled "Piggy in the Middle", which was created by The Rutles.

There seems to be three or four different songs all competing for prominence, but it's the full-blown rousing chorus that wins through, and don't be surprised to see it hurtling number one-wards.

"[13] Stephen Holden of The New York Times thought that the song evoked the "treadmill rhythms, trumpet-laced textures and exhortatory mood of 'Sgt.

[11] David Marsh of The Guardian also noted several musical references that evoked the work of The Beatles, including "I Am the Walrus", Penny Lane", and "A Day in the Life".

The 12-inch single included the album version of "Sowing the Seeds of Love" with "Tears Roll Down", a largely instrumental non-album track as the B-side.

[17][18] Orzabal commented that the song's failure to reach number one "gave the American record company an excuse to take their foot off the gas.