Writer Dave Marsh has termed the lyrics "a cruel and vivid crescendo that build[s] to the point of snapping and end[s] each verse and chorus with an expostulated 'Trapped!

[5] In any case, in this original arrangement for Cliff, the lyrics are set against an up-tempo, perky reggae beat[5] with organ, horns, and backing vocals.

While on the European leg of The River Tour in Spring 1981, Springsteen purchased a cassette tape of Jimmy Cliff music in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

[6] He discovered "Trapped" on it and decided to incorporate it into his act, making an arrangement for the E Street Band that replaced the reggae rhythm with a straight rock one.

[6] He additionally substantially recast it as a slower, dirge-like piece framed by Roy Bittan's synthesizer punctuated by arena-style choruses.

[15] Among Springsteen audiences it became a favorite during later performances on the Born in the U.S.A. Tour and, with its Springsteen-like themes of both troubles and hope, has often been considered one of the show's anthems.

Singing in the words of a black man who is railing eloquently about the political oppression closing in on him, leaving him 'trapped', Springsteen offers an exciting performance of a significant song.

"[17] Al Walentis of the Reading Eagle wrote that it was one of only two songs on the album that "showcase material that ranks with the singers' most potent", the other being Tina Turner's interpretation of The Motels' "Total Control", and said that it "starts off tense and edgy then revs up" in a manner that resembles Springsteen's "Backstreets".

Club, writing in 2014, commented, "The album's best cut – Bruce Springsteen's live rendition of Jimmy Cliff's 'Trapped' – works because, in contrast to the rest of We Are The World, it's deeply specific.

"[19] In the view of music writer Dave Thompson, the success of Springsteen's "Trapped" help improve Cliff's visibility, along with the Jamaican's direct involvement in the same year's Artists United Against Apartheid.

Writer Daniel Cavicchi has analyzed the audience reaction to his arrangement as the "power of the moment" in the quiet portions in between when "everyone sang angrily, punching a fist in the air to punctuate the lines" of the chorus.