In his 2007 book To Live's To Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt, John Kruth writes that "(Quicksilver Day Dreams of) Maria" is a "majestic waltz that reveals Van Zandt's ultimate vision of feminine perfection" while "Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel" "relates a tale of bitter disappointment in intricate wordplay and metaphor, with a twist of spite that sounds inspired by Dylan."

AllMusic gives the album 4 out of 5 stars with William Ruhlmann stating, "As usual, his closely observed lyrics touched on desperate themes, notably in the mining ballad 'Lungs', but they were still highly poetic, especially the album-closing 'None But The Rain,' which reflected on a failed relationship."

“Waiting Around to Die” is a catalog of interstate pain from the cradle to the grave: family violence in Tennessee, heartbreak in Alabama, jail in Oklahoma, and alcoholism and drug addiction.

"[2] The cover photograph was taken by Sol Mednick in the kitchen of Poppy Records artwork designer Milton Glaser and features Van Zandt sitting at a table with his eyes closed.

Van Zandt's close friend and fellow troubadour Guy Clark covered "Don't You Take It Too Bad" on his 1979 On The Road Live album and again on his 1995 LP Craftsman.