Songfacts®:

• This was written and originally recorded by the Australian band Rattling Sabres. Kerryn Tolhurst, who was the band's guitarist, told us how this song came together: "I was in Melbourne, Australia in 1988 where I had a band called Rattling Sabres. I bought myself a new amp - a vintage Marshall combo - and when I got it home I plugged in my beloved Gretsch Nashville and out came this riff and chord progression. I had some lyrics kicking around with a working title "Working Against The Clock"... they fit perfectly.
  
  It stayed that way for a few weeks but I felt there was more to be done with the song. One day sitting in traffic it came to me and when I inserted 'All Fired Up' in the chorus it all came together. The band then recorded the song and it came out as a single on the Mighty Boy label. On a trip to LA someone from Mighty Boy was playing the song to an A&R person at Chrysalis Records when Pat Benatar's manager happened to pass by. She needed a single for her new album and after changing some lyrics to suit her female point of view it was recorded and released. I still like my original version better." (Kerryn Tolhurst was a member of Country Radio and The Dingoes. A notable songwriter and session musician, he's also produced albums for Bruce Henderson, Jimmy Norman and Russell Crowe.)