Singer and guitarist Matt Skiba wrote "Hell Yes" in tribute to Anton LaVey, founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan.[1] It was written shortly after Skiba moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where LaVey had once lived. In the liner notes for Remains, Skiba commented that "I miss the Bay, and Doktor LaVey and The Black House on the hill that has since gone away."[1] Singer and bassist Dan Andriano cited "Hell Yes" as one of his favorite songs to perform and noted it as one of the most often-requested numbers at the band's performances, describing it as "a perfect punk rock song about doing what makes you happy. Plain and simple."[1]
"My Standard Break from Life" was written by Andriano in the span of roughly twenty minutes during a time when he was living on Chicago's north side next to a crack house.[1] Describing his inspiration, he stated "Let's just say I was pretty depressed. I was totally unmotivated, drinking way too much, smoking way too much, and the ladies weren't exactly banging down my door. But, somehow the song is pretty fun to play."[1] Though infrequently performed as a group, Andriano occasionally plays the song solo at the band's shows.[1]
