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".
Rodgers has offered conflicting accounts over the years, sometimes calling it a song about an "imaginary person" or "unconsciously" about people he knew, while others, like drummer Simon Kirke, have maintained its direct connection to Kossoff. Recording Amidst Chaos Free - Wishing Well
The making of the song was as turbulent as its subject matter. By the Heartbreaker sessions, the original lineup was
To foster a sense of the "communal vibe" that was slipping away, Rodgers gave songwriting credit for the track to the entire group, even though it was primarily his composition. Recording Amidst Chaos The making of the song
Lines like "Throw down your gun you might shoot yourself" are interpreted as a direct warning to Kossoff about his substance abuse.
