According to Huey Lewis, the song was a semi-autobiographical one about past jobs he had before he became a musician.[3] Lewis had written it during his time as a truck driver.[3] "I wrote it when I was actually working," Lewis said. "I thought about all of the jobs which just sort of popped out."[3] Some of the jobs listed in the song (busboy and bartender) were also jobs Lewis had before becoming a musician.[3] For decades after its release, Huey & the band used the song to close their live shows.
The song was used in the 1988 film Big starring Tom Hanks.[4]
In 2007, Lewis recorded the song as a duet with country music singer Garth Brooks. This duet version is included on Brooks' 2007 album, The Ultimate Hits, and was released as a single. It is Lewis' first appearance on the Hot Country Songs chart, where the single reached the top 20.
