Songfacts®:

• Steven Tyler wrote the track for this song with guitarist Joe Perry, but it took him a few months to come up with the lyrics. The breakthrough came when he decided to write about the band - how they formed and some of their many adventures. Max's Kansas City is a New York City club where the band played a showcase that got them signed by Clive Davis, who is also mentioned in the lyrics. The line, "We're coppin' from the local police" is about how the cops in Charleston, West Virginia, actually gave the band some pot they had confiscated. At the end of the song, Tyler refers to the royalty collection agencies BMI and ASCAP as he wonders why the band hasn't seen the money they're owed.
• Joe Perry left the group before the Night in the Ruts album was released, but they finished this song before his departure. Any unfinished guitar parts on the album were played by Jim Crespo and Richie Supa. Only one song was released as a single from the album (their cover of "Remember (Walking in the Sand)"), and a planned tour was canceled. The album got harsh reviews but sold fairly well, eventually moving over a million copies.