"Red Mosquito" features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by bassist Jeff Ament, guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, and drummer Jack Irons.At Pearl Jam's July 18, 2006 concert in San Francisco at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Vedder said regarding McCready's lead guitar work, "In the studio he played that part on that record...he played it with a Zippo lighter...an old Zippo lighter.