 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" from the 1967 album, "Magical Mystery Tour", 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..."

When speaking about the song, Vedder stated