The name of the track comes from the Northern England exclamation "Ecky Thump," roughly meaning "what the heck?" The title was then changed to "Icky" so that "teenagers would understand it better back in America," in the same way Led Zeppelin took out the "a" so Americans wouldn't call them 'Lead Zeppelin' (pronounced 'leed')" . The phrase was popularized in an episode of The Goodies.
Though grounded to a greater degree than the Get Behind Me Satan singles in straightforward garage rock, the song differed radically from previous White Stripes singles in its unusual construction: angular tempo-changes, stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and chaotic improvised snake-charming solos, played on a Univox synthesizer.
The song deals with the topic of immigration [7]. The song itself seems to criticize the current immigration policy, something seen also in the video. It is thus the first political White Stripes track since "The Big Three Killed My Baby," off The White Stripes.
The lyrics talk about someone (perhaps Jack White himself) taking a trip to Mexico in a wagon, easily crossing the border to Mexico, as opposed to the difficulties Mexican immigrants face while illegally crossing northwards. It then mentions a Mexican lady giving him a bed to sleep in, then tying him up and holding him hostage. When finally able to escape, White decides to start doing his own house chores (referring, most likely, to the hiring of illegal immigrants as very low paid house servants). In the video, when White escapes the lady's house and crosses back to the USA, he passes by Mexican workers building a wall, likely the so-called Great Wall of Mexico.
The defining verse against immigration policies comes near the end of the song:
White Americans What? Nothin' better to do? Why don't you kick yourself out? You're an immigrant too.
Who's using who? What should we do? Well you can't be a pimp And a prostitute too.
The song also ended the 15-week run of "What I've Done" by Linkin Park at the top of the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It is the second song by the White Stripes to top the chart, after "Seven Nation Army." The song is sandwiched between the 15 week run at number 1 of "What I've Done and "The Pretender" by Foo Fighters 18 week run, separated by only the 1 week appearance of "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven.
Icky Thump
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
@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 wowβ¦ still canβt stomach megs drummingβ¦
@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
@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 π
@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.