[4] Allmusic critic Richie Unterberger believes that the tune's success was crucial to Gore's career because it was dissimilar lyrically and musically from the two singles with crying themes that preceded it, and thus she was able to avoid being typecast.

[5] Unterbeger praises the song as "a good girl-group single," and remarks on its "light jazzy swing" and catchy melody.

[5] The production incorporates handclaps, tympani, Piano, drums, strings, and female backup singers, as well as what Unterberger describes as "low, grumbled responsive male vocals that followed Gore's declaration of "she's a fool, with the repeated words: "SHAG-A-DOO-LA".

[5] According to co-writer Mark Barkan, on the 60’s music podcast “The Millennial Throwback Machine”, Mark was initially inspired by the Freddy Cannon song “He’s A Fool” to write a potential answer record from a female’s perspective, and he had first played the song to the Tokens as a potential follow up to their hit "One Fine Day" (for their group the Chiffons).

Cash Box described it as an "infectious, shuffle-rock romantic weeper" that "Lesley puts across with teen finesse" and with a "potent Claus Ogerman arrangement.