It was the first single to be released from their debut studio album Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) in March 1987.

The B-side, "Little Matchstick Owen's Rap" was voiced by the audio engineer, Mike Bleach.

The second verse is explained in Bez's Freaky Dancin' (p. 198–200): I had a special affinity for the tune because of the references to one of the very first people we had met in the early Haçienda days.

(...) One weekend we'd called by as usual to pick up a bag of goodies, promising to pay up on the following Monday.

She'd died of a brain tumour an was black and blue from throwing herself around, smashing her head on the walls an ultimately down the stair in a desperate attempt to stop the pain an agony.