Though some listeners have taken the lyrics of "National Express" to be an advertisement for the eponymous British coach company, Neil Hannon has denied that they are.

[3] The official video for the song, directed by Matthew Kirkby, examines with some irony the UK National Health Service from the viewpoint of a mental health patient (portrayed by Hannon) in a psychiatric hospital filmed at the (now-demolished) Joyce Green Hospital in Dartford, Kent.

The video ends with the patient shown unconscious from his treatment with the porter pushing him back to the ward in the wheelchair.

"[6] In a retrospective AllMusic review, critic Tim DiGravina said that the song has a "baroque, grandiose styling" and "might not be a fan favorite, but it helps to solidify Neil Hannon's status as a musical renaissance man.

"[8] "National Express" is used as the soundtrack for Scottish trials cyclist Danny MacAskill's 2016 short film Wee Day Out.