The single, released in 1995 along with a music video (directed by Adolfo Doring), went on to reach the #2 position on the American Billboard Top 40 Mainstream chart and #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also peaked at #4 on the Australian ARIA Charts. The song also received the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1996.

The lyrics tell the story of a patient man in love with a woman who is an irresponsible alcoholic. He keeps trying to save her and salvage the relationship, even as he sees the toll it is taking on him and the probable futility of his attempts to keep it together. Darius Rucker said he wrote the song about one of his own past relationships, but swapped the gender roles - that in real life, he was the irresponsible one and his girlfriend was the long-suffering partner who tried to keep things together.[citation needed]

Darius Rucker acknowledged that he originally wrote the song as a country song.