The song was first performed in May 2004 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles during The Mars Volta's three-night residence closing the tour supporting their debut LP, De-Loused in the Comatorium.

At the concert, the song was dedicated to former Mars Volta member Jeremy Ward, who died of a drug overdose in May 2003.

The song peaked at number 95 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's first and only single to chart there.

"The Widow" is notably the only short, pop-structured song on Frances the Mute, although the album-version features a lengthy, non-radio-friendly, atonal outro of organ and electronic spasms, taking up the later half of the track.

The edit of "The Widow" cuts the last instrumental part of the regular album track and fades out when the vocals start to become distorted.