"Still Ill" has been described both as Morrissey's "deeply personal realisation that his old dreams and freedoms were dead" and also as a reflection on his sexual orientation, in the Thatcher era.
[9][7] The recordings are characterised by particularly intricate bass guitar playing by The Smiths’ bassist Andy Rourke, as Marr mentions in his autobiography.
"Still Ill" has been noted as "One of the best and most loved Smiths songs", and is still a staple in both Morrissey and Johnny Marr's concert set lists.
[14] On Consequence of Sound, T.J. Kliebhan writes that "Morrissey’s brilliant use of imagery on 'Still Ill' is curtailed by his own lovely moans and empathetic malaise.
[18][19][20][21] In 2017 Christopher Federico of The Washington Post titled his short opinion piece about the Affordable Care Act "The Smiths, ‘Still Ill’: The Week In One Song".