and "You Can't Tell How Much Suffering (On a Face That's Always Smiling)". Booth's girlfriend and the band's manager Martine McDonagh sung backing vocals on "Hang On" and "Crescendo", while the Inspiral Carpets contributed backing vocals on "Gold Mother", which also featured saxophone from Corrigan. "Come Home" was written in an hour, and is based around Booth's separation from McDonagh, with whom he had a son. Booth said they had written the song accidentally, as they were trying to play "Sit Down"; it features a house-esque piano riff. "Government Walls" talks about the 1989 secrets act, and the case against Peter Wright. "God Only Knows" is an attack against people that think they are speaking for God, and organised religion as a whole. It opens with sample of a televangelist denouncing rock music as a tool used by the devil; he learned of the sample and later threatened to sue the band. "You Can't Tell How Much Suffering (On a Face That's Always Smiling)" discusses emotional restraint and British stoicism. "Crescendo" is an atmospheric track that was originally called "The Last Whale", with Miles Davies-esque trumpets from Diagram. The Stone Roses-indebted "How Was It for You" talks about consuming alcohol and doing drugs to avoid sexual guilt. "Hang On" showcases the band's softer pop side, with its lyrics detailing the disintegration relationship between Booth and McDonagh. The ballad "Walking the Ghost" is driven by Glennie's bass parts, and is about the ghost of a woman revisiting her former home, akin to the work of the Triffids. The title-track "Gold Mother" is about women finding courage after child birth, and the birth of his son Ben. Booth originally wrote it about Margaret Thatcher and greed, but changed topics after his girlfriend had given birth. In spite of this, he retained some lyrics from its first incarnation as he felt they were still relevant. It was edited together from two separate improvisations, and later given overdubs. The album's closing track, "Top of the World", is a ballad full of country blues guitarwork from Gott, and was reminiscent of Brian Eno's Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks (1983). The baggy track "Lose Control" was written by Booth at night about an insomniac being burdened by fear and doubt. Release In September 1989, James headlined a benefit for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The release of the "Come Home" single was promoted with a month-long tour