[2] He had a simple progression, but felt "it didn't sound right" until Martha Davis suggested he swap the order of the two chords around.

The song's title and repeated line of the chorus ("Take the L out of lover and it's over") came from the producer of the band's first two albums, Carter.

[5] On its release, Cash Box commented, "Here, the songstress' mournful wailings are accompanied by a marching rhythm on the oft-repeated hook.

"[6] Jim Whiteford of the Scottish newspaper The Kilmarnock Standard described the song as a "mid-tempo rocker" with a "very reasonable American production".

He added, "The band haven't issued anything [in the UK] for over a year, so this new beginning may get them noticed if the radio folk give them some breathing space.