Farina's agent, Robert Mills, began advertising it as a work-in-progress to several British publishers in 1963. It was eventually submitted to Random House and accepted by them in April 1965. Jim Silberman was the book's editor. Fariña was paid the advance fee of $5,400 for his novel and its release was announced for the autumn of 1965 but was rescheduled for the spring publishing season of April 1966. The title appears to come from a line in the 1928 blues song "I Will Turn Your Money Green", by Furry Lewis, which was included on records issued in 1953, 1959 and 1961. Fariña himself recorded a version of the song with Eric von Schmidt in 1963.