After releasing several singles and three albums within the Detroit independent music underground, The White Stripes rose to prominence in 2002, as part of the garage rock revival scene. Their successful albums White Blood Cells and Elephant drew them attention from a large variety of media outlets in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The White Stripes used a low-fidelity, do-it-yourself approach to writing and recording. Their music features a melding of punk and blues influences and a raw simplicity of composition, arrangement, and performance. The duo is also noted for their fashion and design aesthetic which features a simple color scheme of red, white, and black.
The White Stripes' discography consists of six studio albums, two extended plays (EP), one video album, 26 singles and fourteen music videos. The band has sold approximately 12 million albums worldwide, 2 million in the US alone, and their latest three albums have each won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.
On February 2, 2011, the band announced on their website that they had disbanded.
Official band website: www.whitestripes.com
Cash Grab Complications On The Matter
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As naked as a bone
Beautiful and canvas-blank, lily-white now
And just lookin' for a home
Yeah, and without trying to praise you
Well, I feel like I could raise you as my own
There's a duty to this loneliness
And you're blind to my homeliness
One less mystery to solve
And the rest will be explained to you
As our bodies begin to revolve
Yeah
What gave me this power to construct you?
Your guess is as good as mine
If you'd like me to return you to the stones from which I brought you
Well, you'll have to do your time
But for now, put down the gun
Start having fun
Forget the sun turning
And it will keep burning
As you melt into my mind
The lyrics to the song "Cash Grab Complications On The Matter" by The White Stripes are quite obscure and difficult to interpret. It can be interpreted as a song about loneliness and a search for companionship, reflected in the lines "There's a duty to this loneliness, the good of everyone involved" and "you're blind to my homeliness, one less mystery to solve". The singer appears to be addressing someone who is vulnerable and "beautiful and canvas-blank, lily-white now", who is seeking a home and looking for someone to raise them.
It is unclear who this person is or what their relationship is to the singer. The line "What gave me this power to construct you? Your guess is as good as mine" suggests a sense of ambiguity and mystery. The singer also seems to have some sort of power over the other person, as indicated by the line "But for now, put down the gun". The final lines of the song "Forget the sun turning and it will keep burning, as you melt into my mind" leave the listener with a sense of unease and uncertainty, as the singer's intentions are unclear.
Overall, the song's meaning is left open to interpretation and can be seen as a commentary on human relationships and the struggles we face in trying to connect with others.
Line by Line Meaning
You tiptoed to me
You approached me carefully and quietly
As naked as a bone
You were completely exposed, vulnerable and raw
Beautiful and canvas-blank, lily-white now
You were a beautiful, empty canvas, pure and innocent
And just lookin' for a home
You were searching for a place to belong
Yeah, and without trying to praise you
I don't mean to be overly complimentary
Well, I feel like I could raise you as my own
I feel a sense of responsibility and ownership over you
There's a duty to this loneliness
This loneliness comes with an obligation
The good of everyone involved
It's important to consider the benefits for everyone affected
And you're blind to my homeliness
You don't see my unattractiveness or flaws
One less mystery to solve
Your arrival solves one of life's mysteries for me
And the rest will be explained to you
I'll teach you what you need to know
As our bodies begin to revolve
As we become more intimately connected
What gave me this power to construct you?
How did I become responsible for creating you?
Your guess is as good as mine
I have no idea
If you'd like me to return you to the stones from which I brought you
If you want me to let you go and return you to your previous life
Well, you'll have to do your time
You'll have to wait and earn your freedom
But for now, put down the gun
Stop being so defensive and aggressive
Start having fun
Relax and enjoy yourself
Forget the sun turning
Stop worrying about the inevitable changes in life
And it will keep burning
The world will continue on, regardless of us
As you melt into my mind
As we become more mentally and emotionally intertwined
Contributed by Audrey M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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..