The music video also included the involvement of Michael Coulson, who served as the creative director from Real World, and British visual artist Nichola Bruce.

[5] Other additions to the song included a duduk solo played by Levon Minassian and vocals from the Russian folk group Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble.

[11] He also said that the warped image of Gabriel was a representation of "the distortion of language", explaining that similar to a game of Chinese whispers, the original intent of a verbally communicated message can be misinterpreted by the person on the receiving end.

[10] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post commented that the song "explores barriers to communication and the need to 'unlock the misery'", adding that "despite its somber tone, it's a typically elastic Gabriel concoction built on fuzzy guitars, African drum loops, a Russian folk chorale, bagpipes, doudouks [sic] and a Sinead O'Connor harmony.

"[9] Daryll Easlea, a Peter Gabriel biographer, noted the duration of the song's fade-out, saying that it created the impression of a conversation "continuing in a permanent loop.

"[4] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly described the lyrics as "vague enough to apply to romantic liaisons", while also acknowledging that Gabriel's original intention of writing the song for one of his daughters was also applicable.

[13] The Orlando Sentinel praised "Come Talk to Me" as "an enticing song, stunningly arranged" with "bagpipes, driving polyrhythms, vocal harmonies by Sinead O'Connor, the Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble and various exotic instruments [that] combine to make this plea for communication almost as moving as Gabriel's earlier masterpieces, Biko and San Jacinto".