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
LOVESICK
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walkin' with you in my head.
My feet are so tired and my brain is so wired,
And the clouds are weepin'.
Did I hear someone tell a lie?
Did I hear some long distant cry?
I spoke like a child, and it struck me with a smile,
Well, I'm sick of love,
But I'm in the thick of it.
I'm sick of love,
Well, I'm lovesick.
I see, I see lovers in the meadow.
I see, I see silhouettes in the window.
I watched where they're goin',
But they keep me hangin' on to their shadow.
Well, I'm sick of love,
I wish I never met you.
This kind of love,
Oh, I'm trying to forget you.
Just don't know what to do,
I'd give anything to be with you.
The White Stripes's song "Lovesick" is a hauntingly beautiful expression of the pain and confusion that can come with love. Jack White's voice is mournful as he sings about walking through streets that are dead, with the person he loves in his head. His feet are tired, his brain is wired, and the clouds are weeping - a fitting reflection of the emotions he is feeling.
As the song progresses, Jack seems to become more and more disoriented. He hears a long distant cry, and speaks like a child. He is sick of love, but he is in the thick of it. He sees lovers in the meadow, silhouettes in the window, and watches where they're going, but they keep him hanging on to their shadow. He wishes he never met the person he loves, and is trying to forget them, but he doesn't know what to do. He would give anything to be with them, despite the pain they are causing him.
The lyrics to "Lovesick" are full of contradictions and conflicting emotions. Jack is sick of love, yet he is in the thick of it. He wishes he never met the person he loves, yet he would give anything to be with them. He sees lovers in the meadow, but they keep him hanging on to their shadow. The song captures the raw pain of love, the confusion it can cause, and the way it can make us feel lost and disoriented.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm walkin' through streets that are dead,
I'm wandering aimlessly through life without direction.
Walkin' with you in my head.
Thinking about you constantly, even though you're not here with me.
My feet are so tired and my brain is so wired,
I'm exhausted physically and mentally drained from thinking about you too much.
And the clouds are weepin'.
It's raining outside, reflecting the sadness and heartache I feel inside.
Did I hear someone tell a lie?
I'm questioning whether anything is real or truthful anymore.
Did I hear some long distant cry?
I'm sensing sorrow and pain all around me, even from far away places.
I spoke like a child, and it struck me with a smile,
I said something naive and foolish, but I found it amusing despite my sadness.
But I was sleepin'.
I wasn't really awake or paying attention to reality, just lost in my own thoughts.
Well, I'm sick of love,
I'm fed up with this intense emotion that's causing nothing but heartache and pain.
But I'm in the thick of it.
Despite my exhaustion and frustration, I'm still deeply immersed in this experience.
Well, I'm sick of love,
I'm reiterating my disgust with this emotion and the whole situation.
Well, I'm lovesick.
But despite everything, I can't help but still long for and miss you terribly.
I see, I see lovers in the meadow.
I'm envious of other people who seem to have found happiness and love where I can't.
I see, I see silhouettes in the window.
I'm watching people from afar, feeling isolated and disconnected from them.
I watched where they're goin',
I'm trying to follow their example and figure out how to find love and happiness like they have.
But they keep me hangin' on to their shadow.
But I can't find my way or make any progress. I feel like I'm just chasing after a ghost.
Well, I'm sick of love,
I'm saying it again, trying to convince myself that I'm done with this entire experience.
I wish I never met you.
I'm expressing regret about ever getting involved with you in the first place.
This kind of love,
I'm distinguishing between the love I have and the kind of love that's supposed to be good and healthy.
Oh, I'm trying to forget you.
I'm struggling to move on and forget my feelings for you, even though I know it's necessary.
Just don't know what to do,
I'm at a loss, feeling powerless and stuck in this painful situation.
I'd give anything to be with you.
Despite everything I've said, I still yearn to be with you and feel your love again.
Contributed by Lillian K. 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..