[1] Hugh Nicholson wrote "Like a Refugee (I Won't Cry)" in 1993 about the plight of young Africans seeking refuge in Europe.

Nicholson recalled in 2015, "I was moved to write the song in response to an article detailing the harrowing journey of young African stowaways seeking shelter in Europe from fear, hunger, and persecution.

[3] Numan listened to the demo version in his dressing room prior to his concert at Birmingham Town Hall on 27 October 1993.

[8] Alan Jones of Music Week described "Like a Refugee" as "an unusually edifying single from Numan and Italian percussionists Dadadang" which "benefits greatly from the use of thunder drums and uilleann pipes, which help give it an ethnic, folky flavour".

[9] In a 2017 beginner's guide to Numan, Chi Ming Lai of The Electricity Club considered the song to be a "rousing and melodic number" which "would have actually made a good Eurovision entry".