[1] In its original draft, he was concerned the song sounded too depressing so he imbued it with a bouncy, joyous beat and melody, with lyrics emphasizing personal forgiveness and optimism.

At the prompting of Paul Simon and Christie Brinkley, who was listening in the studio, he left it in the finished recording as it seemed to illustrate the song's point about celebrating personal fallibility.

[1] Cash Box said that the song has "a lilting reggae rhythm much like that in Julian Lennon’s 'Too Late For Goodbyes'" and "Joel’s inimitable sense of melodic and musical themes.

The entire video pays homage to the film It's a Wonderful Life,[2] as the angelic Joel shows a suicidal young man named George Young, (played by Jason Andrews)[6] threatening to jump off a bridge because of a break-up with his girlfriend what life will be like without him, as his family and friends mourn his death—as well as showing him the joys in his future he would be missing if he dies (e.g. high school graduation, marriage).

One of the extras in the music video is Adam Savage, who later found fame as the co-host of the popular science television show MythBusters.