The song is a ballad about Zac Brown's own father, and the lifestyle examples set by him.

It features "the band's harmony-heavy vocals, which drive forward a scaled-back arrangement of unplugged guitar, fiddle and light strings".

[4] The music video was directed by Markus Blunder and premiered on CMT, GAC and VEVO in May 2017.

[5] Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave a favorable review, saying that "The raw, acoustic ballad has flaws and genuine emotion" and "It’s difficult to hear 'My Old Man' as anything less than a confessional — never have the Zac Brown Band released a single this personal.

"[6] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe rated the song "A", praising the lyrics and Brown's vocal performance, adding, "I appreciate Brown’s ability to capture deep and difficult feelings without descending into maudlin sentimentality.