Icky Thump
The White Stripes Lyrics


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Ah, icky thump
Who'd a thunk?
Sittin' drunk on a wagon to Mexico

Ah, well
What a chump
Man my head got a bump
When I hit it on the radio

Redhead seΓ±orita
Lookin' dead
Came and said
Need a bed in EspaΓ±ol

Said, gimme a drink of water
I'm gonna sing around the collar
And I don't need a microphone

Icky thump
With the lump in my throat
Grab my coat
And I was freaking
I was ready to go

Yeah, I swear besides the hair
She had one white eye
One blank stare
Lookin' up, lyin' there

On the stand near her hand
Was a candy cane
Black rum, sugar cane
Dry ice, something strange




La la la la la la la la la la

White Americans
What, nothing better to do?
Why don't you kick yourself out?
You're an immigrant too

Who's usin' who?
What should we do?
Well, you can't be a pimp
And a prostitute too

Icky thump
Handcuffed to a bunk
Robbed blind
Looked around
There was nobody else

Left alone
I hit myself with a stone
Went home
And learned how to clean up after myself

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Icky Thump" by The White Stripes revolve around the topics of immigration, identity, and cultural appropriation. The opening lines "Ah, icky thump, who'd had thunk?" are reportedly Scottish slang used to express surprise, excitement or the unexpected. The following verses tell the story of a drunken man travelling to Mexico when he encounters a redhead seΓ±orita who asks for help in EspaΓ±ol. The man then sings without a microphone, expressing his feelings of strangeness and discomfort with the dominant culture of white America. The chorus, "icky thump, with the lump in my throat, grab my coat and I was freaking, I was ready to go" conveys a sense of unease and restlessness.


The third verse begins with Jack White addressing white Americans, criticizing them for being immigrants themselves and highlighting the irony in their anti-immigrant sentiments. He questions who is using whom in a society where cultural appropriation runs rampant. The lyrics "Well, you can't be a pimp and a prostitute too" suggest that it is impossible to exploit and appropriate cultures while claiming superiority over them at the same time. The final verse tells the story of the singer getting robbed and left alone before realizing that he needs to take responsibility for himself.


Overall, "Icky Thump" is a politically charged song that deals with issues of immigration, identity, cultural appropriation, and accountability. It is a reflection of Jack White's views on these topics, and it encourages listeners to think about them critically.


Line by Line Meaning

Ah, icky thump
An expression of surprise or amazement


Who'd a thunk?
Who would have thought?


Sittin' drunk on a wagon to Mexico
Being drunk while travelling to Mexico on a wagon


Ah, well
An expression of resignation


What a chump
How foolish


Man my head got a bump
I hit my head and it hurts


When I hit it on the radio
When I heard it on the radio


Redhead seΓ±orita
A red-headed lady


Lookin' dead
Appearing lifeless


Came and said
Approached and spoke


Need a bed in EspaΓ±ol
Require a bed in Spanish


Said, gimme a drink of water
Requested a drink of water


I'm gonna sing around the collar
I will be successful


And I don't need a microphone
I don't require a microphone


Icky thump
An expression of surprise or amazement


With the lump in my throat
Feeling nervous or overwhelmed


Grab my coat
To get ready to leave


And I was freaking
I was getting anxious or scared


I was ready to go
I was prepared to leave


Yeah, I swear besides the hair
I can't believe it, but in addition to her hair


She had one white eye
Her eye was white


One blank stare
She had a vacant expression


Lookin' up, lyin' there
She was lying down and looking up


On the stand near her hand
On the surface near her hand


Was a candy cane
There was a candy cane


Black rum, sugar cane
There was black rum and sugar cane nearby


Dry ice, something strange
There was dry ice and something unusual nearby


La la la la la la la la la la
A vocalization without significant meaning


White Americans
Referring to Caucasian U.S. citizens


What, nothing better to do?
Insinuating that they have nothing productive to occupy their time


Why don't you kick yourself out?
Why don't you leave?


You're an immigrant too
Pointing out that many Americans are descendants of immigrants


Who's usin' who?
Who is taking advantage of whom?


What should we do?
What action should we take?


Well, you can't be a pimp
It is impossible to be both a pimp and something else


And a prostitute too
And also be a prostitute


Icky thump
An expression of surprise or amazement


Handcuffed to a bunk
Being restrained and tied to a bed


Robbed blind
Taken advantage of and stripped of possessions


Looked around
Surveyed the area


There was nobody else
There was no one else present


Left alone
Abandoned and by themselves


I hit myself with a stone
I intentionally hurt myself


Went home
Returned to their residence


And learned how to clean up after myself
They learned how to take care of themselves and their environment




Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Anthony White

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@lachd2261

Meg White's drumming on this is absolutely fantastic. Massive sounds in multiple tempos.

@cbaile

@Times Assuming they used her actual kit for the video, she usually uses Paiste cymbals.

@angeljustice1857

Oh wow… still can’t stomach megs drumming…

@error_1234

She actually sucks as a drummer lol

@dnmcfall

Reminds me of Bonzo

@puuhamato6294

You serious.. kinda like trying to make Lars Ulrich sound something more he's not

27 More Replies...

@erikrasmussen9068

The power of that guitar and percussion is unreal! Unbelievable what they can produce together. And the video is epic!

@michaelallen3894

Meg looking super sexy 😍

@xbrandi12345x

Too bad they didn't see that. They were married. I read they divorced and that the drummer has really bad anxiety and that the two of them haven't talked in years. It's really unfortunate, they really did make some beautiful music together but it couldn't be easy trying to keep a marriage together and struggling with mental health troubles on top of being in The White Stripes. They were huge when they came out and very in demand. It had to be stressful. I hope someday they decide to connect again.

@zanzibarandgrill6484

I'm 60 yrs old so I've heard a lot of R&R in my life. The White Stripes music is an autopsy on all of that. Laid bare.

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