An American Songwriter feature reveals that Hall & Oates' 1983 hit "Family Man" was originally written by Mike Oldfield, best known as the composer behind "Tubular Bells," whose eerie instrumental became famous after appearing in The Exorcist. The revelation surprises many fans, as Hall & Oates largely wrote their own material and rarely recorded covers, making this collaboration an unusual footnote in the duo's catalogue.

Oldfield included "Family Man" on his 1982 album Five Miles Out, with vocals by Maggie Reilly, though the original version narrowly missed the UK Top 40. Daryl Hall discovered the song through his keyboard technician while preparing the H2O album, and he and John Oates altered the lyrics slightly to give the story a darker twist. Released as the third single from H2O in 1983, their version reached No. 6 on the charts, with many listeners unaware it wasn't an original Hall & Oates composition.