"Man O'Sand to Girl O'Sea" was originally released as a stand-alone single by Australian indie group The Go-Betweens. It was released as a 7" vinyl record on the Rough Trade Records label in the United Kingdom in October 1983, with "This Girl, Black Girl" as the B-side. It reached No. 24 on the UK Independent Singles Chart. Another recording of the song was included as the final track on the band's 1984 album, Spring Hill Fair.

Robert Vickers was recruited into the band in February 1982. Following short tours of Switzerland, Britain and Germany, they went to the studio between 4 and 7 May 1983 and recorded "Man O'Sand to Girl O'Sea" and "Newton Told Me" with John Brand producing. The Go-Betweens then returned to Australia to promote Before Hollywood and "Cattle and Cane". Upon returning to England in August 1983 the band went back into the studio with John Brand and re-recorded "Man O'Sand to Girl O'Sea", together with "This Girl, Black Girl". The details are not clear as to why the recording was redone but it may have been related to ongoing difficulties with their label, Rough Trade.

In a review in The Age newspaper, Chris Johnston said ""Man O'Sand" is typically (Grant) McLennan and (Robert) Forster in that it wraps up a simple sentiment in obtuse poetic constructs. It's a break-up song. Forster wrote the lyrics: I want you back, I want you back, I want you back, because I feel no better, feel no better, feel no better. Perhaps she was someone he went swimming with and perhaps he refused to swim. Perhaps she was mysterious like the depths of the ocean and he was certain and grounded."

Steve Bell of TheMusic.com.au states "While musically the song is all terse and fiery post-punk and features excellent percussion from Morrison to offset Forster’s deft guitar lines, the lyrics are desperate and pleading but couched in vaguely highbrow imagery – hyper-literacy was always one of the band’s strengths, yet seemed easily confused with pretence by the more casual listener. It’s a great song but it seems slightly incongruous now that it was chosen as a viable radio single given what was airing at the time (although the single version was a slightly more urgent alternate take and slightly abridged compared to the album version)."

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