In his review of the song, Bill Janovitz called it "a twangy, three-chord honky tonk, but not typically country", and said, "The progression of the chords brings gospel music to mind".
Janovitz continued: "The music comes as close to definitive country-rock or Stax-like country-soul as anything from the era, barring Gram Parsons—an immediate influence on the Stones."
[2] Basic tracking took place in Richards' basement in the South of France during the summer of 1971, and overdubs were done in Los Angeles' Sunset Sound Studios between December 1971 and March 1972.
Janovitz wrote of the lyrics: "'Torn and Frayed' follows a vagabond-like guitar player whose 'coat is torn and frayed'": Well the ballrooms and smelly bordellos, and dressing rooms filled with parasitesOn stage the band has got problems, they're a bag of nerves on first nightsHe ain't tied down to no home town, yeah, and you thought he was recklessYou think he's bad, he thinks you're mad, yeah, and the guitar player gets restless.
Phish also covered it during their live cover of the entire Exile on Main St. album on 31 October 2009; they also performed it in another of their live shows in Cincinnati on 21 November 2009, during their Superball IX festival in 2011, in Pittsburgh on 23 June 2012, at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on 7 July 2012, and at Moon Palace, Mexico on 20 February 2020.