the September 11 attacks, "people were a little confused as to what Pennywise was about, because we had a lot of anti-government-type songs on that record, and people were feeling like they needed to be behind the government". As a result, they had a meeting and decided that they were going to write about what they "believe is true and what needs to be talked about and what we feel in our hearts". Dragge said the album's title "symbolizes a type of starting over, and learning lessons from major events like 9/11". He attributed some of the "more heartfelt" lyrics to the band's state of mind following the September 11 attacks, and mentioned that the death of their former bassist Jason Thirsk was a "pretty profound moment" for them. The album's lyrics also covers the Bush administration's handling of the attacks, in addition to ideology beliefs, such as gun control, news media bias and government abuse. Tracks From the Ashes opens with "Now I Know", a skate punk song that deals with self-discovery. "God Save the USA" is critical of the US government and alludes to the work of the Sex Pistols. Lindberg said it dealt with the "government's refusal to protect our greatest natural resources". "Something to Change", another skate punk song, deals with boredom. "Salvation" recalled the work of the band's labelmates Bad Religion. The tempo of "Look Who You Are" evokes the band's earlier material. "Falling Down" sees Lindberg tackle the topic of ageing and hitting middle age. "Holiday in the Sun" was the most reminiscent of the material on Land of the Free?. "This Is Only a Test" is bookended by acoustic intro and outro sections. PopMatters contributor Christine Klunk said the acoustic accompaniment "provides an appropriate beginning to a song that details the tendency of humans to build such walls of 'arrogance' around themselves". "Rise Up" is about being held responsible for one's own actions. "Yesterdays" is the slowest song on the album and incorporates a piano. The album concludes with "Judgement Day", a song that Klunk said warns listeners that the "world is no longer ours, that we've had our fun, and it's time to realize there are consequences for messing with the planet's equilibrium". Release On June 3, 2003, From the Ashes was announced for release in three months' time; alongside this, the track listing was posted online. In early-to-mid July and late