[4] His mother, Julia, did not live with her son, although they had a good relationship; she was killed in a car accident on 15 July 1958 by an off-duty policeman named Eric Clague when Lennon was 17.

[7][page needed] Although Lennon said that "Mother" was the song that "seemed to catch in my head," he had doubts about its commercial appeal and he considered issuing "Love" as a single instead.

Cash Box said of the single version that "spare production work and a powerful melancholy vocal give the [song] its disturbing brilliance.

"[14] Stereogum contributors Timothy and Elizabeth Bracy rated it as Lennon's 4th best solo song, saying that "Over a martial beat and insistent piano riff, the question rises inextricably: if we can be abandoned by those who made us, who in the hell can we trust?

"[15] Far Out critic Joe Taysom described it as "one of the most moving creations that the late musician ever concocted," saying that Lennon "lays himself emotionally bare and finally deals with the abandonment issues that scarred him from childhood.