Elephant" is a strong, deep album showcasing Jack White at the top of his game. He rocks every guitar style that he tries including blues and slide guitar and even does a great job on a Burt Bacharach cover. It's just one more example of Detroit's enduring musical legacy.
Elephant was recorded in two weeks during 2002 in London's Toe Rag Studios. Jack White produced the album with antiquated equipment, including an eight-track tape machine and pre-1960s recording gear.
The album has been released with at least six different versions of the front cover—different covers for the CD and LP editions in the US, the UK and elsewhere. To give an example, on the US CD edition Meg White is sitting on the left of a circus travel trunk and Jack is sitting on the right holding a cricket bat over the ground, while on the UK CD edition the cricket bat touches the ground and the image is mirrored so that their positions on the amplifier are reversed. The cryptic symbolism of the album art includes a skull sitting on the floor in the background, as well as peanuts and peanut shells in the foreground, and on the circus travel trunk appears the mark "III," Jack White's signature. Jack White is also displaying a mano cornuta, while Meg White appears to be barefoot and crying, with a rope tied around her ankle and leading out of frame. Both have small white ribbons tied to their fingers.
In an interview with Q Magazine in 2007, Jack White said, "If you study the picture carefully, Meg and I are elephant ears in a head-on elephant. But it's a side view of an elephant, too, with the tusks leading off either side." He went on to say, "I wanted people to be staring at this album cover and then maybe two years later, having stared at it for the 500th time, to say, 'Hey, it's an elephant!'"
The White Stripes were gaining momentum with their previous three albums and were generally lauded in critical circles. Upon its release, critical response to this album was overwhelmingly positive, and many critics hailed it as the one of the defining events of the 2000s garage rock revival. Uncut magazine remarked that "Elephant is where the tabloid phenomenon of summer 2001 prove they are no flash in the pan by making a truly phenomenal record." David Fricke (with Rolling Stone) called it "a work of pulverizing perfection," adding, "It will be one of the best things you hear all year." and Allmusic said the album "overflows with quality". Critics also commented on the development of the band. NME noted that "The eloquence, barbarism, tenderness and sweat-drenched vitality of Elephant make it the most fully-realised White Stripes album yet." PopMatters said the album cemented "their evolution from Blind Willie McTell cover band with a pop sensibility to full-fledged, honest-to-goodness rock 'n' roll gods." The album enjoys a metacritic rating of 92. Negative critique, though rare, was centered around the "gimmicks" that surround the music, most notably, the White Stripes' insistence on being called siblings. "So maybe it's time to drop the enigmatic charade," Lorraine Ali (with Newsweek) pleaded, although she concluded, "Elephant still sounds great."
The album debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and reached number six on the Billboard 200 in the US. The album won Grammys for Best Alternative Album and Best Rock Song ("Seven Nation Army"). In 2003, the album was ranked number 390 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was also placed thirty-ninth in Channel 4's list of the 100 Greatest Albums of all time. In December 2003, NME made it their Album of the Year.
Seven Nation Army
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Takin' their time right behind my back
And I'm talkin' to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
Behind a cigarette
And the message comin' from my eyes
Says, "Leave it alone"
Don't wanna hear about it
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
From the Queen of England to the Hounds of Hell
And if I catch it comin' back my way
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do
And the feelin' comin' from my bones
Says, "Find a home"
I'm goin' to Wichita
Far from this opera forevermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin'
Right before the Lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will think no more
And the stains comin' from my blood
Tell me, "Go back home"
The lyrics to The White Stripes' hit song Seven Nation Army paint a vivid image of the singer, an individual who appears to be driven and unafraid of confrontation. The song begins with the singer stating that they are prepared to fight anyone and that even an army of seven nations couldn't hold them back. The singer appears to be on edge and aware that someone is following them, taking their time right behind their back.
In the next verse, the lyrics suggest that the singer is tormented by something they cannot forget. This causes the singer to speak to themselves at night, but they are unable to find peace of mind. The singer then declares that every person or group of people has a story, and everyone knows about it, regardless of who they are, from the Queen of England to the Hounds of Hell. If the problem that is occupying the singer's mind comes back their way, they will serve it to the other person.
The final verse of the song is full of visual imagery. The singer's desire to escape their current situation leads them to Wichita, far from the world they currently occupy. The singer is willing to work hard labor and subject themselves to physical pain until they can no longer think about their problems.
Overall, the song appears to speak to the idea of a person feeling trapped within their own mind or situation. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and a need to escape. The chorus is simple yet powerful, with the repetition of the iconic guitar riff adding to the feeling of urgency.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna fight 'em all
I will not back down against any opponent
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
My strength and perseverance cannot be stopped by even the largest opposition
They're gonna rip it off
Others will attempt to take what I have worked for
Taking their time right behind my back
My enemies are waiting for the perfect moment to strike
And I'm talking to myself at night
I am consumed by my thoughts and fears
Because I can't forget
I am haunted by past mistakes and failures
Back and forth through my mind
My thoughts are a never-ending cycle
Behind a cigarette
I use smoking as a coping mechanism
And the message coming from my eyes
My body language and facial expressions convey to others to leave me alone
Says, "Leave it alone"
I want to handle my own problems and don't want anyone else's interference
Don't wanna hear about it
I don't want to listen to other people's complaints or stories
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone has their own problems and experiences to share
Everyone knows about it
These problems are not unique to me, they are universal
From the Queen of England to the Hounds of Hell
These issues affect people of all social classes and backgrounds
And if I catch it coming back my way
If someone tries to bring their problems to me, I am not afraid to confront them
I'm gonna serve it to you
I will return their negativity to them
And that ain't what you want to hear
Others do not want to face the consequences of their actions
But that's what I'll do
I will not shy away from standing up for myself
And the feeling coming from my bones
My intuition and instincts tell me that I need to find a new path
Says, "Find a home"
I need to find a place where I can truly feel at peace
I'm going to Wichita
I am leaving my current situation behind and starting anew
Far from this opera forevermore
I am leaving behind the drama and chaos of my current environment
I'm gonna work the straw
I am starting from the bottom and working my way up
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
I am willing to work hard and make sacrifices to achieve my goals
And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding
I am going through great pain and hardship
Right before the Lord
I am at my lowest point and need help from a higher power
All the words are gonna bleed from me
I will bear all of my emotions and reveal my true self
And I will think no more
I need to move forward and focus on the present
And the stains coming from my blood
The pain and scars of my past are still present and affect me
Tell me, "Go back home"
I am reminded that I cannot truly escape from my past, and should confront it rather than run away
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Anthony White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robyn
on Candy Cane Children
The meaning of this song is basically saying the older you get, the less fun Christmas becomes usually do to adulthood. The lines "don't you know your name?...", probably refers to the adults telling kids to grow up as if they're saying "Do you know how old you are? You're getting too old for this stuff." Probably why he put the lines "nobody knows how to talk to children". Also, he puts the lines "think again" after a thought of one of the kids thinking of wishing to participate in Christmas activities. As if they're thinking "Yeah I probably AM too old for this.." "364 more tears girl" the sadness of getting older. Not participating feels like a missed opportunity and causes even more sadness..