 "The Beatles Bible" considers the song a "powerful rocker".Rogan concludes that the song "remains a stirring and salutary comment on the limitations of "agitprop".He also regrets that Lennon couldn't get together with former partner Paul McCartney, who wrote a "simplistic and sentimental" song about the same events, "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," so that the two could together write a "decent anthem".