The record opens with "Lycanthrope", which was intended to introduce the band but leave the listener guessing. "Baby Come On" was written halfway through the recording process and serves as an assessment of "what the band is about." It contains electronic drums and synthesizers that thicken a slow build throughout the track. The title track, "When Your Heart Stops Beating", features "snotty, mid-range British-sounding Telecasters" and was inspired by the story of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen — "you love your lady and outside of that, fuck everything else," according to Hoppus. "Little Death" is a moody, lo-fi song that went through numerous changes throughout the recording, beginning in Barker's basement. It was intended as an allegory to what Hoppus and Barker dealt with after the breakup of Blink-182. Hoppus felt both "hopeful and defeated" while writing the song, and intended to make it an appreciation of life after hard events. In addition, he was inspired by the various methods of communication in the 21st century, and how they can often result in too much or too little conversation, especially among loved ones.