,
Philippines, during her Gypsy Heart Tour, 2011. ''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. 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... Ahh! (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. 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". The record closes with the twelfth track "My Heart Beats for Love", which according to Ham, describes "the more universal ideal of love for all"; Greenblatt also recognized the integration of organ instrumentation. ==Singles==