[2] Musically, "Cowboy" is a fusion of hip hop, country, southern rock and heavy metal.

[2] Billboard, as well as Kid Rock himself, described the song as a cross between Run DMC and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

[2] The instrumentation includes Jew's harp, blues harmonica and a piano solo which quotes the Doors song "L.A.

[8][6] The lyrics feature Kid Rock rapping about moving to California to become a pimp, and start an escort service "for all the right reasons", located at the top of the Four Seasons Hotel, as well as getting thrown out of bars and buying a yacht.

[2][6][7] The Village Voice writer Chaz Kangas called "Cowboy" a classic song, writing, "in the Clinton era, when your most viable pop stars were pristine teen-pop sensations, raucous nu-metal antagonists or alternative-to-alternative-to-alternative rock weirdos, Rock stood alone.