It was written by Allee Willis (who also co-wrote the Friends theme) and Danny Sembello.

The lyrics reflect urban survival and the desire to "stir it up" to escape a chaotic or stalled life. Interestingly, the lyric about a stolen Chevrolet was inspired by a real-life attempted break-in the writers witnessed while composing the track.

The song's driving rhythm has made it a popular choice for various dance styles:

The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985.

The song was famously parodied in Family Guy , where a Native American ancestor of Peter Griffin performs a "rain dance" to the track. Dance Summary Table BPM Approximately 174-176 BPM (High energy/Fast) Line Dance Counts 48 counts or 32 counts Difficulty Varies (Beginner to Intermediate) Primary Theme Urban resilience and "stirring things up" Neutron Dance - Demo

A well-known 48-count, four-wall line dance choreographed by Bill Bader is often performed to this track. Other beginner-level versions, like one by Aurora de Jong, feature a 32-count, four-wall structure.

While originally intended for the film Streets of Fire , it became iconic during the opening car chase sequence of Beverly Hills Cop starring Eddie Murphy. Choreography & Performance