Allmusic critic Stewart Mason calls it 'an all-time classic rock and roll love song' and 'probably the masterpiece.' He particularly praises Hynde's 'beautiful and emotional' lead vocals, and James Honeyman-Scott's lead guitar playing, which he says sounds like the Byrds at times but also sounds tougher when necessary.

Music and lyrics Īuthor Alex Ogg describes 'Kid' as a 'resonant ballad.' The lyrics express the singer's devotion to the listener, who may be her child, but could also be her lover or just a friend. Johnny Marr of the Smiths, who cited Honeyman-Scott as an influence, often used 'Kid' as a warm-up song before gigs. Jimmy had gone somewhere for a couple of evenings, and he had worked on it so he could play it fluently when it was ready to record. I've got the demo of 'Kid' that has a different ending than what's on the record, but the solo is absolutely the same. Jimmy would be the person that said, 'Right, there's eight bars here that I can put a really good stamp on.' He would go back with a guitar, sit on the bed and just work out what sounded really good. Drummer Martin Chambers said of Honeyman-Scott's solo: '' Honeyman-Scott also assisted in arranging the song and composed the guitar solo.

Guitarist James Honeyman-Scott attributed the song's melodic quality to Hynde's shift from punk to pop he explained, 'Chrissie started to like pop music, and that’s why she started writing things like 'Kid.

Of the lyrics to 'Kid,' Hynde stated, 'It's about a prostitute whose son finds out what she does for a living and this is her having a conversation with him.

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