In 1975, musician Nils Lofgren wrote the song "Keith Don't Go" as a musical plea for Keith Richards to survive his battle with heroin addiction during the early 1970s. Richards' grip on drugs had sparked serious concern among those in his circle, and Lofgren felt compelled to create a tribute urging one of rock music's most influential figures to stay alive, as losing him would mean losing a defining voice that had fundamentally shaped the language of rock and roll itself.

Lofgren composed the song after repeatedly encountering worried members of Richards' circle whilst touring with Neil Young in 1973, when the Rolling Stones guitarist faced multiple drug busts across Europe and North America. Years later, Richards acknowledged the song's significance when he spotted Lofgren backstage at a Stones show, hugging him and ensuring a photographer captured a picture of the two together as a gesture of recognition and closure.