"Boggy Depot" incorporates piano, organ, and country elements, namely in the tracks "Hurt a Long Time" and "Between." Cantrell confirmed that as a child he was "raised on country music" and that he admires the strong emotion conveyed through the genre. However, the ominous guitar styles previously heard in Alice in Chains are undeniable in tracks like "Jesus Hands" and "Keep the Light On." The tracks "Settling Down" and "Hurt a Long Time" were originally introduced during the recording sessions for Alice in Chains' self-titled album in 1995, but the group chose not to record them. As such, they were the oldest and longest-awaited songs to be introduced on "Boggy Depot". Although often mistaken as a song about Kurt Cobain's suicide, Cantrell stated that "Hurt a Long Time" is actually about the suicide of his cousin Kevin.