The song also features vocals by Jon King, which take the role of "a lonesome, longing lament" and a "nearly spoken-word" section sung by the band's guitarist Andy Gill.
[5] AllMusic critic Tom Maginnis argued that the track is "the closest thing approaching a traditional pop single from their influential first record," while noting the "uncharacteristic lightness and bounce from Dave Allen's superb, hooky bass line, countered with a constant hacking rhythm guitar from Andy Gill."
[9] The back cover features a tear-out from a newspaper of a female matador spearing a bull and an extract from the band's letter to Bob Last on how they wanted the single sleeve to be.
[11] The song's fusion of punk rock and funk was influential in the development of post-punk movement[failed verification] and inspired future groups such as Fugazi and Rage Against the Machine.
"[6] On its influence, Maginnis wrote: "Damaged Goods" would prove to be the musical flashpoint of an era, which—along with contemporaries such as the Fall, the Au Pairs, and the Clash—would forge a new radical political agenda in rock & roll.
Reynolds also further commented: "Abrasive but accessible, Gang of Four avoided both Tom Robinson-style preachy protest and forbidding didacticism of avant-gardists like Henry Cow.