"Can't Be Tamed" is primarily a dance-pop record; it contains "several bass-heavy, slickly produced dance numbers" that Ann Donahue from "Billboard" joked "thunder in such a catchy, accessible way that it may make Kesha down another bottle of Jack out of envy." Its opening track "Liberty Walk" describes an individual who leaves a harmful relationship, which Cyrus felt leaned towards more meaningful lyrical content instead of the "super shallow" current mainstream music. "Who Owns My Heart" details the excitement in possibly finding a lover at a nightclub, while Cyrus herself commented that the title track "Can't Be Tamed" bears a theme of "breaking out and feeling free." It is followed by a cover version of one of Cyrus' favorite songs, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", originally performed by the band Poison for their second studio album "Open Up and Say... (1988); she stated that the modern-day music industry "shelters kids [from] songs as honest and real as this one", and added that a consultation with the band's lead singer Bret Michaels helped her to incorporate her "own flare and edge" to the track, which she deemed "a classic." "Two More Lonely People" was described by Evan Sawdey of PopMatters as "one moment of carefree dance-pop joy" that was reminiscent of material from her earlier "Hannah Montana" soundtracks; he also stated that the lyrics delivered in "Forgiveness and Love" were among the "more over-the-top cutesy moments" throughout the record, specifically commenting that the lines "The only thing that / Our hearts are made of / Are the acts of forgiveness and love" were "so unbelievably saccharine that Hallmark would ultimately have to turn them down". Robert Ham from "Christianity Today" felt that "Permanent December" discussed the story of "the devoted girlfriend pushing aside the 'sexy boys' vying for her affections", while "Stay" addressed the difficulties in maintaining a long-distance relationship. Writing for AllMusic, Heather Phares noted that "Scars" exemplified Cyrus' equating of "grown-up with joyless", adding that the track fails to find the "emotional depth" Cyrus was likely intending. She also described "Take Me Along" as one of the more "overwrought ballads" where Cyrus' delivery seemed more comfortable than others on the record. Leah Greenblatt from "Entertainment Weekly" felt that "Robot" highlighted the theme of defiance and rebellion seen throughout "Can't Be Tamed", specifically noting the lyrics "Stand here, sell this, and hit your mark / I would scream but I'm just this hollow shell".