The lyrics for "Love Boat Captain" tackle existential matters. "Love Boat Captain" references the 2000 Roskilde tragedy with the line "Lost nine friends we'll never know two years ago today". When "Love Boat Captain" is performed in concert, Vedder modifies the lyric to reflect the passage of time since the tragedy. There is also a reference to The Beatles' song "All You Need Is Love" with the lyrics "I know it's already been sung...can't be said enough/Love is all you need..all you need is love..."