At the time of the home recording of "Misunderstanding" the title had not been assigned and the track was simply labelled "D Minor Swing" by Phil Collins. The lyrics were written by Phil later. The tune was meant for Phil's debut solo album but eventually came to light on the next Genesis LP.

The 1980 LP "Duke" by Genesis (lead vocalist Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford) received the most love in Canada where the single "Misunderstanding" peaked at number one. On Billboard the single peaked at number fourteen pop and thirty-two Easy Listening.