Songfacts®:

• An early track penned by Richie Furay, the song anticipates the country-rock direction of Furay's post-Springfield band, Poco.
• Furay's lyrics are an expression of his annoyance with guitarist Neil Young, who had quit and rejoined Buffalo Springfield on several occasions during the recording of the album. He recalled to Uncut:
  
  "We did 'Child's Claim to Fame' on the reunion tour in 2011. We were playing Santa Barbara, there's 5,000 people out there, and Neil stops. 'Hold up, hold up!' he says. 'Richie, did you write this song about me?' That's Neil for you. Yeah when I wrote it I was frustrated with the guy, but that's how we communicated with one another. You wrote a song, I'm not gonna say that (1968 Buffalo Springfield track) 'I Am a Child' was Neil's response to 'Claim to Fame' but."
• The song features a dobro lick courtesy of American guitarist James Burton, who first found fame as a 15-year-old when he created and played the guitar solo on Dale Hawkins 1957 hit song "Susie Q". Burton was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001 as a sideman.