The song is notable for the female voice of Perri Lister that sings "Les yeux sans visage" (French for "Eyes without a face") as a background chorus.
It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Idol's first Top 10 hit in the USA.
The title of the song refers to the English title of French director Georges Franju's 1960 film Les yeux sans visage.
The video was released in June 1984 and subsequently nominated for MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Editing" and "Best Cinematography".
AllMusic journalist Donald A. Guarisco praised the song and wrote: "The music plays against the dark tone of the lyrics with a ballad-styled melody comprised of yearning verses that slowly build emotion and a quietly wrenching chorus that relieves the emotional tension in a cathartic manner."