Produced by Nathan Chapman, "Tim McGraw" is an acoustic guitar–led country ballad that incorporates the '50s progression and elements of alternative rock.

The accompanying music video, directed by Trey Fanjoy, sees Swift's character and the ex-boyfriend both reminiscing about a past summer romance in rural Tennessee.

Swift promoted "Tim McGraw" and her debut album with a six-month radio tour in 2006, and she performed the song at the 42nd Academy of Country Music Awards.

Rose said Swift showed up at her after school job, writing songs for Sony/ATV Music, "with the idea and the melody, knowing exactly what she wanted."

[18] According to the musicologist James E. Perone, this chord progression is associated with late-1950s and early-1960s doo-wop and rock and roll songs, which lends "Tim McGraw" a nostalgic and timeless feel.

According to Perone, this, as well as that the refrain is built on repetitions of the initial short motif, gives the song a catchy tune that makes the audience want to sing along to.

[20] Additionally, the refrain—and to a certain extent, the verses—makes heavy use of syncopation at the sixteenth-note level, which lends the song a production reminiscent to non-country genres, such as alternative rock and hip hop.

[20] These melodic techniques laid the groundwork to Swift's subsequent songs, known for catchy melodies and radio-friendly verses that defined her catalog for the following decade.

[20] In the opening line, Swift sings, "He said the way my blue eyes shined put those Georgia stars to shame that night / I said, 'That's a lie'", which The Boot's Riane Konc found to be "genuine romanticism underscored by real cynicism".

[16][19] McGraw is one of the many items that the narrator associates her past relationship with; others include her little black dress, her faded blue jeans, and the moment she laid her head on the ex-boyfriend's chest.

[22] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine believe "Tim McGraw" followed "time-tested narrative conventions and [...] massive pop hooks.

"[23] Jeff Tamarkin of AllMusic said that the song demonstrated Swift was "a talent to be reckoned with", because of her vocal delivery that, according to him, equated that of a seasoned professional.

"[14] Roger Holland of PopMatters praised the song, commenting it was "good enough to recall some of the best country singles of recent years", such as Rachel Proctor's "Me and Emily" and Julie Roberts's "Break Down Here."

[24] In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked "Tim McGraw" at number 11 on its "The 100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time" list, placing second among female artists; the magazine stated: "With her first song, Swift immediately showed her Nashville peers she could beat any of them at their own game, acing the classic genre trope of nostalgic country song about how country music is nostalgic".

[31] The single was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2020, for surpassing two million units based on sales and streaming.

[35] In regards to the video's concept, Swift stated, "It deals with the haunting power of music and how hearing a song years after it was first popular can have such an emotional appeal.

[37] The video begins with Swift, dressed in a white sundress, as she lies on the grass of a lake-bed and holds a transistor radio.

[40] She continued promotion for the track at Billboard headquarters,[47] the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards,[48] The Engine Room,[49] and a concert at the Apple Store in SoHo, New York, which was recorded and released as a live extended play (EP), iTunes Live from SoHo, exclusively sold through the iTunes Store.

The performances of "Tim McGraw" set on a small platform located at the opposite end, parallel to the stage in the arena.

As she worked her way back to the stage, she again hugged fans, squeezed their outstretched hands and scrawled quick autographs.

[54] Nicole Frehsee of Rolling Stone favored Swift's performance of "Tim McGraw" at the August 27, 2009, concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Frehsee described the entire concert as an "elaborate spectacle that doesn't slow down, even when the singer hauls her acoustic guitar into the audience to play a sweet, stripped down set of tunes including [..] 'Tim McGraw'.

"[55] Brandy McDonnel of The Oklahoman reported a massive sing-along by the audience at the March 31, 2010, concert at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.

Additionally, she performed a piano version of the song in Nashville, during the Reputation Stadium Tour, with special guests Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.