Featuring a danceable arrangement inspired by David Bowie, the song includes punning lyrics referencing the cigarette brand of the same name and decrying the effects of the elderly on the British welfare system.
Costello explained, "The effect of [Bowie's influence] can be heard overtly in the keyboard and background voices" on the song.
[6] According to Geoffrey Himes of The Washington Post, the song "assaults older workers who clog up Britain's seniority-based social system".
AllMusic's Stewart Mason described it as "the epitome of Costello's early angry young man phase", noting that the "juvenile spite" coming from "the deliberately ridiculous rinky-dink melody" makes the track "feel really good, and so there's something primitively cathartic about the song".
"[10] "Senior Service" has been infrequently performed live by Costello, most recently at a 2014 concert in Wilmington, Delaware.