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
Honey We Can't Afford To Look This Cheap
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I want to try and hold my head up high
In this busted-up Pinto truck conversion between the broken concrete and the cloudy sky
Well, you have to make an effort with me
Can you make it look like you're chauffeuring me?
There's enough gas to get us home now if we glide
I told the boss we had a Mercedes-Benz but all we got in our yard is a steering wheel
Well, I can't borrow this tuxedo much longer
Well, we might have to cut and sell your long hair
I don't mind you wearing a wig, but I won't steal
Yeah, well, honey, we can't afford to look this cheap
We need to make it look like we're high class, so we'll haul ourself on, we can't be beat
I can't help but wonder, this time next year, will we be drinking Dom Perignon or reheated beer?
Well, honey, we can't afford to look this cheap
We have to keep up appearances as long as we can
There's too much to lose, our social status, well, our ice machine, and our ceiling fan
And if they find out that we ain't real songwriters
That we go Dutch on cigarette lighters
We're gonna lose the paradise that's in our hands
Well, honey, we can't afford to look this cheap
Got an image to live up to here
In the best motel on Imposter Street
While the Joneses are waltzing off to dinner
We're gluing old lottery tickets together
Trying to make us a winner
Well, honey, we can't afford to look this cheap
The lyrics of “Honey, We Can’t Afford to Look This Cheap” by The White Stripes reveal a story of a couple who is trying to maintain their social status and reputation despite their financial limitations. The song starts with the singer exclaiming his desire to hold his head up high even while driving their old Pinto truck in a run-down neighborhood. His plea for support from his partner indicates that they have to put in extra effort to maintain their façade of social standing. However, their situation is quite the opposite, and they have to borrow tuxedos and wigs to attend events to maintain their image.
The line that reads, "When we took this job, I thought that you knew the deal. I told the boss we had a Mercedes-Benz but all we got in our yard is a steering wheel," highlights the couple’s struggle to keep up with their peers. The next verse mentions their fear of losing their Paradise if their true identity were to be discovered. The lyrics are a reflection of the societal and cultural pressure that often demands people to maintain a certain social status to be accepted.
There is an interesting juxtaposition in the song between the image the couple is trying to maintain and their actual living conditions. The song also highlights the band's sarcastic and humorous approach to exploring societal issues through their music.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I want to try and hold my head up high
I want to maintain my pride and dignity despite our current situation
In this busted-up Pinto truck conversion between the broken concrete and the cloudy sky
We're driving a car that's falling apart on a road made of broken concrete under a cloudy sky
Well, you have to make an effort with me
I need you to work with me to maintain appearances
Can you make it look like you're chauffeuring me?
Can you pretend to be my chauffeur to make it seem like we're higher class than we actually are?
There's enough gas to get us home now if we glide
We have just enough gas to make it home if we drive efficiently
When we took this job I thought that you knew the deal
I assumed you understood the expectations for this job when we accepted it
I told the boss we had a Mercedes-Benz but all we got in our yard is a steering wheel
I lied to our boss about our transportation, but all we actually have is the steering wheel of a car
Well, I can't borrow this tuxedo much longer
I can't keep borrowing this formal attire for much longer
Well, we might have to cut and sell your long hair
We may need to sell your hair to make ends meet
I don't mind you wearing a wig, but I won't steal
I'm okay with you wearing a wig, but I won't resort to stealing to get ahead
Yeah, well, honey, we can't afford to look this cheap
We can't continue appearing this poor and unrefined
We need to make it look like we're high class, so we'll haul ourself on, we can't be beat
We need to present ourselves as high class in order to avoid losing our social status and possessions
I can't help but wonder, this time next year, will we be drinking Dom Perignon or reheated beer?
I'm concerned about our future and whether we'll become successful or continue struggling to survive
We have to keep up appearances as long as we can
We need to maintain our facade of success for as long as possible
There's too much to lose, our social status, well, our ice machine, and our ceiling fan
We stand to lose our perceived status as well as our possessions if we don't keep up appearances
And if they find out that we ain't real songwriters
If people discover that we're not actually talented songwriters
That we go Dutch on cigarette lighters
That we split the cost of buying cigarette lighters
We're gonna lose the paradise that's in our hands
We'll lose our current situation of perceived success and possessions
Got an image to live up to here
We need to maintain our desired image
In the best motel on Imposter Street
We're staying in the nicest motel on a street called Imposter, further emphasizing our fake success
While the Joneses are waltzing off to dinner
While our neighbors (the Joneses) are going out to eat in luxury
We're gluing old lottery tickets together
We're engaging in desperate measures, like trying to make it look like we won the lottery
Trying to make us a winner
Attempting to make it appear like we succeeded when we really didn't
Well, honey, we can't afford to look this cheap
We need to continue presenting ourselves as high class in order to maintain our social status and possessions
Contributed by Aaron C. 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..