its hardcore roots". Ness said of the album's musical style: "What's really ironic about this record is that it probably has more similarities to our first album, from 1983, than any of them. And that was purely unconscious. A lot of those emotions resurfaced. Or I just got in touch with them. I don't think they ever go away." Ness believes White Light, White Heat, White Trash was featuring both Social Distortion moving forward and reverting to the band's roots. White Light, White Heat, White Trash features a hidden track and the hidden track is a cover of the Rolling Stones song "Under My Thumb". Ness said: Lyrical themes The lyrics on White Light, White Heat, White Trash are more personal than lyrics on previous Social Distortion albums. Although a couple of songs are more political or about social issues, the lyrical content on the album are instead personal or introspective. The lyrics often deal with looking back at the past and making changes or improvements in one's life. Ness' struggles in life with drugs, alcohol, and jail inspired the lyrics of the album. Ness says "Dear Lover", despite the song title, was not necessarily written after a heartbreak. "I already felt like that. I didn't even need to get my heart broke to feel that way. What I was doing wasn't working. It was almost like saying goodbye to that life because it really wasn't bringing me happiness. It's something everyone goes through and I kind of wanted to paint a picture, an accurate picture, of that." "Don't Drag Me Down" is about racism and how Ness witnessed it when touring in the United States and seeing it at punk rock concerts, leading to him engaging in physical fights. "Untitled" is about Ness becoming sober and a few older men helped him with it. One of them was a very close friend of his but that friend died. Ness lost four other friends and all of this inspired "Untitled". "I Was Wrong" is about admitting to mistakes or engaging in morally wrong behavior. Ness explains: "I don't know this for sure, but I may have been one of the first rock 'n' rollers to just say, 'at certain times in my life I was an asshole.' This job comes a big ego, 'Hey man, I am who I am. Take it, that's just what I do. I'm Mike Ness.