Roger Daltrey had spent over two decades as the charismatic lead vocalist for The Who when he decided to embark on his first solo U.S. tour. Daltrey had seen some limited success with a number of solo albums that included Daltrey, Ride a Rock Horse, One of the Boys, and Under a Raging Moon. Under a Raging Moon, the solo album generally regarded as his most ambitious, was the feature of his mid-80s American tour.
Daltrey had written the title track as a tribute to his late friend, Keith Moon, The Who's bombastic drummer who died tragically from a combination of pills and alcohol in 1978.