The song's upbeat ska-based melody stands in direct contrast to its stark lyrical content which relates the story of a married couple's divorce difficulties as they fight for custody over their daughter.

The song's lyrics are narrated by singer Angelo Moore from the point of view of an older brother in the troubled family who witnesses his sister's difficult position in the parents' fierce legal battle.

In a refrain which occasionally follows the main chorus, Angelo Moore sings the line "Why don't y'all get your shit/together" by coughing instead of saying the word "shit", effectively self-censoring the song's strongest profanity.

Tom Moon of the Miami Herald complimented the song's writing and lyrical arrangement saying how "the five-piece band states a theme and develops it [with] each verse adding to the snowballing exposition."

"[4] Malu Halasa, reviewer of British music newspaper Record Mirror, found some "nice horn licks" here but generally she considered that the Fishbone forgot to bring the "vitality on the vinyl" while copying "English 2-Tone of the early Eighties".