Jewel wrote the song sometime after the release of her previous album, Spirit, while she was taking a break from her music career.

According to Jewel, the song is about stepping back to avoid stagnation from a busy career and wanting a change of scenery from fame.

[1] She went on to explain that the song was inspired by her three-year hiatus from the music business following the release of Spirit, during which she found it difficult to stay impassioned about her fame.

[5][6] In Australia, a CD single was released on October 22, 2001, containing live versions of "A Long Slow Slide" and "Stephenville, TX".

[12] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes, the song is written in the key of D major and has a moderately fast tempo of 124 beats per minute, in common time.

[14] Taylor called "Standing Still" a "jaunty but sophisticated outing, rich in its evolving textures and guitar-fueled folk-pop base".