 Current socio @-@ political issues in the United States are addressed on the album , with Vedder claiming the record " deals with real content and the moral issues of our time " , and crediting as inspiration both the frustration with George W. Bush being reelected , and the birth of Vedder 's daughter - " Now that I see it as my daughter 's planet , I 'm even more ( angry ) . " McCready said , " We all feel that we 're living in tumultuous , frightening times , and that ranges from the Iraq war to Hurricane Katrina to wiretapping to anything that smacks of totalitarianism . And just bad political decisions being made . We feel that as Americans , and we 're frustrated . So a lot of those feelings have come out in these songs . " Vedder also added that among all the dark themes " the hope was going to be in the guitar solos . It was the guitars and drums going at it that was going to lift you out of the dark abyss that I had painted . " The Iraq War is addressed in the songs " World Wide Suicide " , " Marker in the Sand " , and " Army Reserve " . The lyrics of " World Wide Suicide " depict anger against the war . Other themes addressed on the album include alcohol use ( " Severed Hand " ) , religion ( " Marker in the Sand " ) , poverty ( " Unemployable " ) , leaving everything behind to seek a fresh start ( " Gone " ) , and loneliness ( " Come Back " ) . 
