… Read Full Bio ↴A wild and crazy song by The White Stripes on their album Elephant.
(Also was featured on Skate. a computer game made by EA Black Box.)
Girl You Have No Faith in Medicine
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You have no faith in medicine
Acetaminophen
You see the medicine
Girl,
You have no faith in medicine
Is there a way to find a cure for this
Is it just the name upon the bottle
The determines if it will?
Is the problem your allergic
To a well familiar name?
Do you have any problem with this one
If the results are they same?
Acetaminophen
You see the medicine
Girl,
You have no faith in medicine
Well strip the bark right off a tree
And just hand it this way
Don't even need a drink of water
To make the headache go away
Give me a sugar pill
And watch me just rattle
Down the street
Acetaminophen
You see the medicine
Girl,
You have no faith in medicine
The lyrics of "Girl You Have No Faith in Medicine" by The White Stripes seem to be about a person who doesn't believe that medicine can cure their ailments. The song starts with the girl having "no faith in medicine" and specifically mentioning Acetaminophen, a common painkiller. The lyrics go on to question whether the name on the bottle determines whether a medicine will work or not. The song then suggests that sometimes something as simple as a piece of tree bark can cure a headache better than medicine. The song ends repeating the line "You have no faith in medicine" to highlight the girl's skepticism.
The song seems to be grappling with the idea of faith versus science, specifically the faith one puts in medicine. The lyrics question whether a belief in a name or brand can determine the efficacy of medicine. The song suggests that there might be holistic or natural cures that are just as effective, if not better than medicine. The repeating line of "You have no faith in medicine" could also be seen as a commentary on our reliance on medicine and tendency to turn to drugs for even minor ailments.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl,
Addressing someone who is not trusting in medical treatment
You have no faith in medicine
You believe medication will not work
Acetaminophen
A type of pain reliever medication
You see the medicine
You are aware of the medication
Girl,
Addressing someone who is not trusting in medical treatment
Is there a way to find a cure for this
Questioning if there is a solution to treating the illness
Implanted in a pill?
Wondering if the solution can be formulated into a medication
Is it just the name upon the bottle
Questioning if the effectiveness of medication is purely based on its name
The determines if it will?
Asking if the name is what ultimately decides the medication's effectiveness
Is the problem your allergic
Maybe you are allergic to that medicine
To a well familiar name?
Are you allergic to a widely-known medication?
Do you have any problem with this one
Do you have any issues with a specific medicine?
If the results are they same?
If the results are the same as any other medication?
Acetaminophen
A type of pain reliever medication
You see the medicine
You are aware of the medication
Girl,
Addressing someone who is not trusting in medical treatment
Well strip the bark right off a tree
Extracting natural remedies from nature
And just hand it this way
Offering a solution for natural medicines
Don't even need a drink of water
Taking natural remedies in their purest form
To make the headache go away
To treat the headache without any medication
Give me a sugar pill
Give me a medication that does not contain any active ingredients
And watch me just rattle
The placebo effect, where taking a pill makes one feel better
Down the street
Walking away from the situation
Acetaminophen
A type of pain reliever medication
You see the medicine
You are aware of the medication
Girl,
Addressing someone who is not trusting in medical treatment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK 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..