Zawinul explained the making of this tune to Bill Henderson of Black Music & Jazz Review:

“I was inspired by Gertrude Stein. Gertrude Stein was on her death bed. She was asked, ‘I mean, after all, what is the answer?’ And she said ‘and then…’

“So when I had this tune I improvised–all my music is improvised–I thought it would be great just to have somebody say, ‘And then… What then?’ I mean, what is going to be happening, man?!

“And then this guy–who is a genius–I had this melody, I gave him the ideas. He was singer Sam Guest, he’s a very good singer. I called him out to my house from Virginia and I told him what lyrics I want. He’s a lyricist. I’m not a lyricist but I have the ideas.

“I told him I wanted to say something of that sort, like: ‘Man’s future is plain to see/Our love for abundance will always be/So blind is he.’ I mean, after all, let’s not forget. Y’know, just a little moral.” [Joe pronounces it “morale.”] [BMJR78]

Henderson went on to say that Joe initially offered the female vocal role to Alison Mills, but she turned it down, so it was sung by Deniece Williams of Earth, Wind & Fire. Mills later performed live with Weather Report on June 1, 1982–the first concert by the Omar Hakim-Victor Bailey band.