The music on "What the...You Mean I Can't Sing?!" largely derives from funk and soul music. Van Peebles' lyrics encompass themes ranging from lighter and humorous to more socially conscious themes, although it is less politically oriented than Van Peebles' spoken word albums; the most political song on the album is "Save The Watergate 500", which refers to the Watergate scandal. Domestic violence is explored on "There", which Van Peebles described as "a story of how a guy who gets it on the job comes home and kicks his old lady's ass." Because Van Peebles wanted to pay tribute to another singer, he recorded a version of "Superstition", a song by Stevie Wonder, who he admired.