The lyrics of "Honey Don't Leave L.A." are a plea to an "errant paramour."[2] Following a live solo performance in 2013, Kortchmar noted that he "was trying to be sensitive. We were all trying to be sensitive back then."[3]
"Honey Don't Leave L.A." was later covered by James Taylor, for whom it became a minor hit. Taylor included his version of "Honey Don't Leave L.A." on his 1977 album JT.[4]David Sanborn played saxophone on the track.[2][5] It was also released as the third single from the album, following "Handy Man" and "Your Smiling Face," which both reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. Released more than six months after "Your Smiling Face" in February 1978, the "Honey Don't Leave L.A." single peaked at number 61 in the US.[2][5][6] It also reached number 63 in Canada.[7]