[11] Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times highlighted the song in her album review, saying "AIDS, crack addiction and teen pregnancy are topics treated with nonjudgmental empathy.

"[12] James Bernard of Entertainment Weekly called the song "my own favorite", commenting "Lyte slips into a storytelling mode to convey the anguish of her peers who are grappling with AIDS, drug addiction, and the specter of the abortion clinic.

"[13] In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Alex Henderson also highlighted the song, describing it as "a poignant reflection on the destruction caused by crack cocaine".

'I've watched her grow, little girl down the street White shirts and skirts with pleats/She cried, fear in her voice/Not knowing, she had a choice'

There is no consideration of larger structural forces that shape access to material resources or even of the knowledge that Lyte suggests is the solution.