In a 1997 interview with Paul Zollo, Buckingham said that the lyrics to "Soul Drifter" came to him "in a flash." He finished the lyrics before he committed the song to tape, which contrasted with his usual approach of starting with the instrumentation first. Buckingham wrote the song while
Fleetwood Mac was at his house mixing
Tango in the Night. He commented that the song was about "taking off and leaving it up to fate as to what will happen." He later discussed the song in a Q&A with
Vulture when asked about the most romantic song in his discography. During the development "Soul Drifter", Buckingham was influenced by the music that his parents listened to growing up, which he captured by emulating the conventions of
Tin Pan Alley music. "I do think there's a lot to be looked at in that type of music. I tried to get that traditional, Tin Pan Alley sort of approach when I was writing 'Soul Drifter'. So I think there's a lot of validity, just looking at that stuff and appreciating it. Especially if it's part of your background." According to Buckingham, "Soul Drifter" was his mother's favorite song on the album. During the pressing of
Out of the Cradle, Lee Herschberg, who had worked with
Frank Sinatra, was making some copies of the album when he first heard "Soul Drifter". Upon hearing it, Herschberg reportedly quipped "Oh, a real song!"
Radio & Records reported that "Soul Drifter" was added to 14 reporting
adult contemporary radio stations in the United States for the week of October 30, 1992, making it one of the most added songs in that format. That same week, Reprise Records included an advertisement in
Radio & Records promoting "Soul Drifter" as "the single that radio asked for". On the week dated November 27, 1992, "Soul Drifter" debuted on the publication's AC National Airplay listing at number 30 with a total of 38 reporting adult contemporary radio stations playing the song. The following month, the single began to receive airplay on
contemporary hit radio stations. ==Critical reception==