Fred Neil and Beverly "Ruby" Ross wrote this song specifically for Orbison. It was the first hit song written by Neil, who had a rather interesting career as a singer and songwriter in the folk community. Neil kept a low profile but had many famous admirers including David Crosby, Jimmy Buffett, and Tim Buckley. He also wrote "Everybody's Talkin'," which was a hit for Harry Nilsson. Ross was a member of the duo Ronald & Ruby, who had a hit single in 1958 with "Lollipop."