The song reached the Australian popular music charts Top 40, and was the band's first radio hit. The single and the album were released on EMI Records then newly revived Parlophonelabel. It was described by Rolling Stone's David Fricke as "The Church's 1981 jangling gem". Kilbey later said, "The song just doesn't appeal to me. It doesn't give me any pleasure at all. Maybe it was exciting for people who thought the country was going to be bogged down with The Human League and Buggles for the decade.".