Written by guitarist Dickey Betts and Nashville songwriter Johnny Cobb, the song was a conscious effort to produce a hit single.

The Allman Brothers Band had signed to Arista Records in 1980, and founder Clive Davis pushed them to modernize their sound.

[1] Arista founder Clive Davis pushed the band to modernize their sound, as southern rock was becoming increasingly unpopular.

"He wanted us to be a Southern American version of Led Zeppelin and brought in outside producers and it just kept getting worse," said drummer Butch Trucks.

[3] He noted that Dickey Betts co-wrote "Straight from the Heart" with fellow songwriter Johnny Cobb, and that "He allowed it to happen; it's not like the two of us came in and dictated to the Allman Brothers Band what they should do and how they should sound.