▁everything , ▁and ▁hopefully ▁your ▁wind sh ield ▁w ip ers ▁are ▁still ▁working ." ▁ ▁Writing ▁and ▁composition ▁Regarding ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁album ' s ▁most ▁prominent ▁them es , ▁death , ▁W ain w right ▁noted , ▁" I ' m ▁also ▁old ▁enough ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁friends ▁that ▁have ▁died ▁already , ▁people ▁I ▁knew ▁and ▁was ▁close ▁to . ▁The ▁mother ▁of ▁my ▁first ▁two ▁k ids , ▁Kate ▁McG arr ig le , ▁died ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁years ▁ago . ▁Fri ends , ▁parents . ▁So ▁it ▁becomes ▁a ▁powerful ▁part ▁of ▁your ▁life ▁as ▁you ▁get ▁older ." ▁W ain w right ▁elabor ated , ▁" The ▁whole ▁album ▁is ▁about , ▁in ▁a ▁sense , ▁the ▁hand writing ▁on ▁the ▁wall ▁for ▁all ▁of ▁us , ▁and ▁that ’ s ▁been ▁the ▁situation ▁with ▁the ▁songs ▁I ' ve ▁written ▁throughout ▁my ▁career . ▁Whether ▁it ’ s ▁decl ining ▁powers ▁or ▁family ▁sk irm ishes ▁or ▁too ▁much ▁h anging ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁bar , ▁this ▁is ▁all ▁material ▁that ▁I ’ m ▁assuming ▁my ▁audience ▁knows ▁about , ▁and ▁is ▁going ▁through . ▁Or ▁if ▁they ’ re ▁not ▁going ▁through ▁it ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁they ’ ll ▁eventually ▁get ▁there ." ▁ ▁Two ▁of ▁the ▁songs ▁from ▁the ▁album , ▁" Old er ▁Th an ▁My ▁Old ▁Man ▁Now " ▁and ▁" The ▁Days ▁That ▁We ▁Die ", ▁feature ▁spoken ▁word ▁performances ▁of ▁pro se ▁written ▁by ▁L oud on