10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant, who wrote this track, explained that she was not making a moral judgment in this song about a young pregnant woman. It's also not autobiographical. Said Merchant: "I enjoy creating characters and leaving people to draw their own conclusions. In the song 'Eat For Two,' as far as I'm concerned, the girl is too young to have a child, she knows it but she's five months gone and all she can do is have the child. But the song doesn't condemn her, it's about her situation."
This inspired Michael Stipe of R.E.M. to write a song for their 1991 album, Out Of Time called "Me In Honey," which is a male perspective on pregnancy. Stipe and Merchant are good friends, and he has cited her as an influence on his songwriting.
This song was a highlight of 10,000 Maniacs 1993 MTV Unplugged special. This acoustic version was used as the B-side of their single "Because The Night."
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