In addition to that, Lee noted that the song was also inspired by other events in her life, including people who she was collaborating with, "holding me down and manipulating me and betraying me", eventually leading her to make the decision of "putmy foot down and walk[ing out the door". During a 2011 interview with "Spin" magazine, Lee described "Call Me When You're Sober" as "mostly a chick anthem: 'You only want me when you're drunk. You only want me because I'm not there'" and deemed it empowering for her female audience of listeners due to the response she had received from them. In retrospect, Lee mentioned in 2016, "I love this song because it has this fun spirit that was new for us as a band. You can still be heavy with a smile on your face."