Songfacts®:

• By 1983, Hall & Oates was one of the most successful acts in America; stars of radio and MTV with five #1 hits behind them. Their newfound fame, however, came with a sense of alienation as they played to the masses.
  
  In our interview with Daryl Hall, he explained that this feeling was the impetus for the song. "The idea was that John and I were outside of things," he said. "You know, that line, "We like to be the strangers at the party, two rebels in a shell," that had a lot to do with John and I's relationship to the world. And I think that was coming out of a combination of people's perceptions of us at that time – we were getting a lot of flack from various things. And being on the road, and feeling sort of separate from the outside world – because we were sort of in this 'road bubble,' and also the bubble of our success."
• Daryl Hall wrote this song on his own. Along with "Adult Education," it was one of two new songs released on their compilation album Rock 'n Soul Part 1.
• Say, this song sure spent a lot of time at #2 on the Hot 100. Four weeks. The song that held it off the top spot all four weeks: "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson. Hall & Oates had six #1 singles - this was their only #2.