Songfacts®:

• The Gaslight Anthem are an American rock band that comprises of frontman/guitarist Brian Fallon, guitarist Alex Rosamilia, bassist Alex Levine and drummer Benny Horowitz. They all grew up around New Brunswick, New Jersey. American Slang is their third studio album and it finds the band moving away from the fictional lyrics and 1950's inspired sound of their previous records.
• The band's fresh start began in earnest at Thanksgiving, when Fallon found himself writing this song that looked back at his own life, rather than the fictional characters of their previous album, The '59 Sound. The tune details Fallon's feelings towards his father, who walked out on the family shortly after he was born. He told Q Magazine May 2010: "It's something that's been burning around in the back of my brain for around 10 years."
• The song's music video was directed by Kevin Slack, and features the band's pal Dave Hause of the Philly punk band Loved Ones playing a starring role whilst drummer Benny Horowitz' brother plays the role of the "suave other man." "The song is a true to life kind of story about a guy who's left behind in a divorce," Fallon told Spin magazine "So the video reflects that directly — it's very literal."