The band spent years denying persistent accusations that the lyrics are about heroin use and trade, claiming that different listeners will hear different things in the lyrics. Hugh Cornwell finally copped to the drug reference in 2001, when he said, "It's about heroin and also about a girl." This girl was Cornwell's Mediterranean girlfriend at the time - who had golden brown skin. Playing down the drug angle was not for fear of repercussions, but because they didn't want the song reduced to merely a drug song.
The song originated when keyboardist Dave Greenfield experimented with a musical passage. While Greenfield perfected the synthesizer/harpsichord backing texture, Hugh Cornwell wrote 10 minutes worth of lyrics. He cut them down to fit the song.
No one considered the song more than just an album track, until radio stations in England started playing the song. Drummer Jet Black had always thought of it as a hit song and pushed for its release as a single. It became their biggest hit and one of their most popular songs with the fans.
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