Parker had felt the label was not promoting him sufficiently and, after releasing the live album The Parkerilla on Mercury, signed with Arista Records.

[3] Robinson similarly criticized Mercury, claiming that Parker could have been as big as Bruce Springsteen with better label support.

To expect huge promotional money after getting a deal like that was perhaps a bit naive, and before long my manager was just as pissed with Arista as he was with Mercury!

[1] Stiff released 200 copies of the single to members of the media in an attempt to stir controversy, but the gesture did not have a significant impact.

"[9] Due to the song's popularity, however, Arista began to include a free "Mercury Poisoning" single with every purchase of the Squeezing Out Sparks album.

Deming went on to state, "'Mercury Poisoning" was a furiously catchy and bitterly hilarious song, and ... Parker and his musicians tore into it with gleeful rage.

"[14] Chris Willman of The Los Angeles Times named the song as "among [Parker's] most stinging attacks.