The title is from the 1949 song "Dear Hearts and Gentle People" with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Bob Hilliard.
During a fight with Cally, J.R. says "The day I start living by the rules that you set down is the day the Dallas Cowboys will be back in the Super Bowl". Surprisingly, the Cowboys, coming off a 1-15 season at the time, would be back in the Super Bowl less than 3 years later in January 1993.