Best Friend
The White Stripes Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I just don't fit it in this place
Their thoughts cast me out of here
Their home has run out of space
My mind's already out of here

Won't you come along, dear?
Won't you come along?
Words that are spoke alone
Phrases you will never hear

Empty rooms and a telephone
That I will never use
Never fear

I am all alone, dear
I am all alone

My dogs come sit next to me
A pack of dogs and cigarettes
My only friends speak no words to me
But they look at me and they don't forget




That a boy's best friend
Is his mother or whatever has become his pet

Overall Meaning

The White Stripes' song A Boy's Best Friend is a bleak depiction of social isolation and emotional disconnection. The singer struggles to fit in with the people around him, feeling like an outcast whose very thoughts have been exiled from their home. The lyrics "I just don't fit in this place / Their thoughts cast me out of here / Their home has run out of space / My mind's already out of here" paint a picture of someone who's mentally and emotionally trapped, longing for a way out.


As the song progresses, we get a glimpse of the singer's inner world. He speaks of a lonely existence, with empty rooms and a phone that he'll never use. The lyrics "Words that are spoke alone / Phrases you will never hear / Empty rooms and a telephone / That I will never use / Never fear" hint at a sense of resignation, a recognition that despite his longing for connection, he will always be alone. It's a sad and poignant reflection on the human condition, one that's made all the more powerful by the sparse instrumentation and the haunting quality of Jack White's vocals.


At the heart of A Boy's Best Friend is a sense of longing for connection, something that we can all relate to. The singer's only friends are his pack of dogs and his cigarettes - silent companions who offer him a kind of solace that human interaction cannot. The lyrics "My dogs come sit next to me / A pack of dogs and cigarettes / My only friends speak no words to me / But they look at me and they don't forget / That a boy's best friend / Is his mother or whatever has become his pet" are a sad but poignant reminder that sometimes the best we can hope for in life is the unconditional love of our pets.


Line by Line Meaning

I just don't fit it in this place
I feel like I don't belong here


Their thoughts cast me out of here
People's opinions of me make me feel unwanted


Their home has run out of space
The people here don't have room for me in their lives


My mind's already out of here
I'm mentally disconnected from this place


Won't you come along, dear?
Can you accompany me somewhere else?


Words that are spoke alone
I keep thoughts to myself


Phrases you will never hear
No one ever asks about or understands my thoughts


Empty rooms and a telephone
My environment lacks human company and communication


That I will never use
I never communicate with anyone in this place


Never fear
I'm okay with being alone


I am all alone, dear
I'm completely isolated


My dogs come sit next to me
My dogs are my only companions


A pack of dogs and cigarettes
I have nothing but my dogs and my addiction to cigarettes


My only friends speak no words to me
My dogs can't communicate with me verbally


But they look at me and they don't forget
My dogs remember and recognize me


That a boy's best friend
The closest thing I have to a friend


Is his mother or whatever has become his pet
One's pet, like a mother, can become their closest companion




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@user-ip9yu7lp1q

Fall is here, hear the yell
Back to school, ring the bell
Brand new shoes, walking blues
Climb the fence, books and pens
I can tell that we are going to be friends

Walk with me, Suzy Lee
Through the park and by the tree
We will rest upon the ground
And look at all the bugs we found
Safely walk to school without a sound

Here we are, no one else
We walked to school all by ourselves
There's dirt on our uniforms
From chasing all the ants and worms
We clean up and now its time to learn

Numbers, letters, learn to spell
Nouns, and books, and show and tell
Playtime we will throw the ball
Back to class, through the hall
Teacher marks our height against the wall

We don't notice any time pass
We don't notice anything
We sit side by side in every class
Teacher thinks that I sound funny
But she likes the way you sing

Tonight I'll dream while in my bed
When silly thoughts go through my head
About the bugs and alphabet
And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet
That you and I will walk together again
I can tell that we are going to be friends
Cause I can tell we are going to be friends



All comments from YouTube:

@thel0n3lytramp63

I love the nonexistent memories this brings me

@slauthordraws3363

THAT’S THE MOOD

@Aqovah

Same

@stevie8211

TheL0n3lyTramp Lmao I’m asleep

@Free_Krazy

Its like a nostalgia trip that has no real basis, kinda like thinking back on the 1950s even though none, Edit: (Most) of us didnt live then.

@crims0ngrin

It’s making me think of my ex who I love deeply but he’s going through so much shit right now and I just hope and pray he’s ok

86 More Replies...

@adrian_veidt

14 years later, this is still an underrated song.

Jericky brought me back here lol

@saybeonbelin4635

Underrated comment no capp bc same literally just finished jericky episode

@M9Vendetta

Same bro 😂

@davidoldakowski2770

Yip. With horrible voiced morty:(

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