Following the disbanding of his band Grin in 1974, American multi-instrumentalist Nils Lofgren released his eponymous debut solo album the following year. A success with critics, Rolling Stone's Jon Landau labeled it one of the finest rock records of the year in a 1975 review. This track finds him paying tribute to Keith Richards who frequently co-produced Rolling Stones and other artists' records with Mick Jagger under the joint name "The Glimmer Twins."

Lofgren joined Neil Young's band at the age of 17, playing piano and guitar on the After the Gold Rush album. The musician maintained a close musical relationship with Young, appearing on his Tonight's the Night album and tour among others. He explained in an interview with Mojo magazine July 2011 why he penned this song for Keith Richards: "I'm on Neil's Tonight's the Night UK tour, I'm just 22, and in heaven. Every day, I'm meeting musicians, a dozen best friends of Keith, and he becomes a common conversation; how sick he is but what an enormous imprint he continues to make. My song was a giant thank you note saying, 'You're a medicine, we need you, why not stick around and take care of yourself.'"