"Coyotes" tells the poignant story of a cowboy witnessing the vanishing of his familiar world on the American frontier. The lyrics list fabled elements from the past that are now "gone," including historical figures, animals, and ways of life, highlighting a deep sense of loss. Though the protagonist eventually disappears, the enduring presence of the coyotes in the song suggests a cycle of nature that continues despite human changes. The song plays like a lament for a bygone era, capturing the melancholy of progress and the fading of a wild, untamed landscape.