 Inspiration for the song came from a stopover in Bombay during the Kinks' 1965 Asian tour, where the jetlagged Davies encountered fishermen chanting on their way to their morning work.Shel Talmy, who was the producer of the record "See My Friends", says in different interviews that the song had been inspired by Jon Mark.Kinks biographer Doug Hinman provides some detail on the recording sessions at Pye Studios, London