Songfacts®:

• Ohio metalcore outfit Attack Attack!'s third album This Means War was released on January 17, 2012. It was the band's first set without former rhythm guitarist/clean vocalist Johnny Franck, and instead frontman Caleb Shomo stepped up to the plate to record both clean and unclean vocals. Shomo produced the record in his home studio.
• This song's music video was directed by Megan Thompson and filmed on November 20, 2011. Thompson told Noisecreep about the clip: "It was a great experience working with Attack Attack! on this video. "We've been friends for a long time, and it was really fun developing the treatment with them. 'The Wretched' is the first part of a larger story, and represents a call to arms against the frustrations facing a lot of people in today's society.
  
  The video crew was amazing, from our director of photography; Bryant Jansen, to our production designer; Ben Spiegelman, and our editor; James Fitzpatrick. Early in the day the skies opened up and we had to deal with an intense rain storm, which ended up being such a positive thing for the look of the video. It made for a very rough day of shooting, but I couldn't be happier with the final product."
• This Means War is a concept album in which Attack Attack! have created an alternative universe where the band members are soldiers who have gone off to fight in a war. Vocalist Caleb Shomo explained to Alternative Addiction magazine how this track fits in with the album's storyline: "This song is about being completely at the end of my rope. This is the most painful and hopeless song. It's basically just crying out asking where God could be in any of this. Also it's about how I've been denying my insanity for so long, but am coming to terms with it and realizing it's not just my perspective, it's a fact."