[3] Besides his separation from Ono, the lyrics are also influenced by Lennon's disappointment at the negative reception his recent work had received from critics and the public, and his feelings of having been cheated by the music industry.
"[2][5] Authors Ken Bielen and Ben Urish describe Lennon's voice for the song as "hoarse," claiming that the production helps give "an alienated ambiance to his lethargic (but not dull) vocal performance.
"[6] They also claim that the horn section adds to the "thick musical overcast," as does Jesse Ed Davis' guitar solo, which they compare to a "howling wolf.
[2] Rock journalist Paul Du Noyer claims "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)" has a "low key, late night feel" reminiscent of such Sinatra songs as "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" and "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.
[1] Bielen and Urish claim that it "captures the essence of a three o'clock in the morning, bleary-eyed, self pitying, booze-drenched interior monologue," and that it contains "a certain bravado and grandeur...that makes the weary emptiness of the verses and the impotent rage of the refrains eloquent and poignant..."[5] Journalist Paul Du Noyer calls it a "colossal ballad" which "sounds nothing but sincere" despite being "a sprawling testament to John's cynicism and self-pity.
"[2] Music critic Jimmy Nelson called it a "moment...of brutal honesty about separation and longing" in which Lennon "submits to the roiling emotions sparked by the loss of his father (who abandoned him as a child) and mother (who was killed in a traffic accident), and then his band (you may have heard about this one), and then his home life.