[11][12] Paul Grein of Billboard commented on the song's "religious feel", describing it as "the softest cut on the album" and noting that "it may well be a strong single.

[14] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci described the song as "an introspective ballad", unlike the band's typical material.

[15] Rolling Stone critic Ken Emerson compared "A Man I'll Never Be" to Led Zeppelin's lengthy classic song "Stairway to Heaven".

[5][16] On Boston's official site, David Wild described the song as "a slowburning power ballad reflecting real grown-up concerns and lived-in reality".

[17][18] He further explained that the singer sounds "trivial" and "insufferable" at first, but as the guitars in the background build, he achieves a measure of glory in his suffering with the lines "You look up at me/And somewhere in your mind you see/A man I’ll never be".

[17][18] Marcus concluded that although the singer never achieves the peace of mind he is seeking, "he is allowed a sense of self, of justification, and one comes away convinced that existence, no matter how miserable, is not meaningless".

"[23] Cash Box said that it begins "with a piano ballad feel which quickly expands when Tom Scholz adds his princely guitar work" and said that the keyboards "sound like a church harpiscord" and the "vocals are characteristically soaring.

"[24] Record World called it a "mid-tempo ballad keyed by Brad Delp's high sweet vocals and the group's churning guitar sound.

[35] Ottawa Journal critic Mike Volsin stated that the song's slow melody showed that Boston "can settle into the slower mood without any difficulty".

[35] Referring to a live performance of the song prior to its release, Peter Robb stated that Delp's voice "stood out like a shining light".