Songfacts®:

• This song is an attack on forced conformity - it was very popular with high school students. The lyrics paint a future where all traces of the human race have been replaced by dehumanized clones: "We've destroyed the government, we're destroying time. No more problems on the way." >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
• This was written by the late guitarist/vocalist/songwriter David Carron, who had been a member of Arlo Guthrie's touring band, Shenandoah, in the 1970s. He was also a member of the short-lived band Gulliver after that.
• This song peaked at #40 on the US Hot 100. It was Cooper's first single to reach the Top 40 in two years. The track also saw some chart action in other parts of the world. It climbed to #36 on the singles chart in Australia and reached #58 in Germany.
• This was the first single from Cooper's album Flush the Fashion. Due to the sluggish sales of his previous album, From the Inside, Cooper decided to take his sound in a new direction. With that goal in mind, he tapped Roy Thomas Baker to produce album. Baker was best known for his production work with Queen (he co-produced A Night at the Opera with the band) and The Cars. Under his production, the tracks on Flush the Fashion have a synth-laced New Wave sound, which was a significant departure from the rougher-edged hard rock and glam metal of Cooper's previous records. This sonic makeover proved successful in boosting Cooper's record sales; the album was his most successful LP in three years, climbing to #44 in America and #56 in the UK.
• The Smashing Pumpkins covered this song. Their version appears on the The Aeroplane Flies High collection.