Songfacts®:

• This song is about Edie Sedgwick, a socialite who formed part of the artist Andy Warhol's Factory scene in New York in the '60s. Sedgwick featured in several Warhol films, including Poor Little Rich Girl and Beauty No. 2. Her final movie role was as Susan Superstar in Ciao! Manhattan, which was written and directed by John Palmer and David Weisman. This song takes the "Ciao Baby" part of its title from this film.
  
  Sedgwick lived a troubled life that was plagued by mental health issues and drug addictions. In 1971, Sedgwick died of an overdose. She was 28 years old. The film, Factory Girl, starring Sienna Miller, is about Sedgwick.
• The Cult's frontman, Ian Astubury, became interested in Sedgwick while the band were recording their Electric album in New York: "It was kinda like I was really interested in Warhol's scene, The Velvet Underground [who Warhol managed between 1965-1967], and really interested in Edie Sedgwick and just was compelled to write something about it." Guitarist, Billy Duffy added: "Just being in New York you can get wrapped up in it. It's a very special place. That's just basically what the songs about. It's not really about her particularly, it's her used as an example."
• Sedgwick was quite a muse: she had a brief affair with Bob Dylan and his song "Just Like A Woman" is reportedly about her.
• "Edie (Ciao Baby)" was the second single from The Cult's 1989 album Sonic Temple, their breakthrough in America. Based in the UK, they were called Southern Death Cult when they formed in 1981. They found their sound in 1985 with the song "She Sells Sanctuary," which blended Billy Duffy's highly effected guitar lines with Ian Astbury's mysteriously lurid lyrics. It was the first single from Sonic Temple, "Fire Woman," that finally charted in the US, and when it did, many who heard it were thrilled to discover a back catalogue of songs that had already hit in the UK.