According to Wesley Schultz, lead vocalist of the Lumineers, "Cleopatra" tells the life story of a female taxi driver, named Manana, in the Republic of Georgia.

[5] The lyrics also mention the lover leaving on a rainy day, tracking mud into the room, which the driver refused to wash off.

[11] Renowned for Sound dubbed "Cleopatra" a suitably named titular track, writing that it was the "perfect taste of the material" on the album "with its slow building beat, infectious chorus and an intriguing tale".

[13] Consequence opined that "Cleopatra"'s "melody is Billboard-friendly, but the wistful tale of a bitter, aging woman looking back on her life and loves isn’t usually Billboard’s style.

"[14] The official music video was directed by Isaac Ravishankara,[15] and uploaded to the Lumineers' YouTube and VEVO account on July 7, 2016.

[19] The song has been covered numerous times since its release, by many upcoming artists which include: Daniel Robinson,[20] Ellysse Mason,[21] Josh Brown,[22] Natalie Del Carmen,[23] and Shayna Adler.