"O4/20/02" was written and recorded hours after a distraught Eddie Vedder had learned that his friend Layne Staley of Alice in Chains was found dead due to an OD from a speedball (A Heroin and Cocaine cocktail) In the song Eddie laments for the wasted talent of Layne and feels utter rage for recent musicians copying his vocal style.
"So sing just like him, fuckers, It won't offend him, Just me... Because he's dead." — Eddie Vedder 04/20/02
"Indifference", which is about Vedder basically giving up. Saying that nothing he does in the long run matters, no matter how much he wants it too.
"Love Boat Captain" was written in response to the 2000 Roskilde Festival disaster, when 9 people suffocated due to the crowd pressure at a Pearl Jam concert.
"Lost 9 friends we'll never know... 2 years ago today"
When the line is performed at live concerts, the last bit is changed to the number of years since June 30, 2000.
The dreary, almost suicidal atmosphere of "Sad" can really choke some people up — especially the chorus:
"And there's no reason that she'd passed" "And there is no god with a plan, it's sad" "And his loneliness is proof, it's sad" "He could only love you, it's sad"
