Jagger called the song "competently played rock, with nasal annihilated vocals." Ultimate Classic Rock critic Mike Duquette describes the theme as "a man going insane in a post-apocalyptic world."
Jagger referred to the song as "expertly performed rock music, accompanied by vocally ravaged tones." Mike Duquette's interpretation portrays the theme as "a man unraveling mentally in a world that has been devastated by disaster."