Although the lead guitar on the track is unmistakably Kossoff's signature soulful style, he remained uncredited on the original single release due to the band’s frustration with his addiction.

By the Heartbreaker sessions, the original lineup was fractured. Founding bassist Andy Fraser had left, and Kossoff’s unreliability led the band to bring in keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick and session guitarist "Snuffy" Walden as "studio insurance".

While the song has a heavy, driving rock groove, its lyrics carry a deeply personal meaning. For decades, it has been widely understood as an open message from vocalist to the band's troubled guitarist, Paul Kossoff , who was spiraling into severe drug addiction.

Lines like "Throw down your gun you might shoot yourself" are interpreted as a direct warning to Kossoff about his substance abuse.