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
Red Rain
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I´m standing, standing in the red, red rain
In the morning, standing in the red, red rain
Can´t you hear me? can´t you hear me calling your name, girl?
In the morning, when I´m standing in the red, red rain, girl
In the morning, I´m standing in the red, red rain
Can´t you hear me? can´t you hear me calling your name, girl?
In the morning, when I´m standing in the red, red rain, girl
You think not telling is the same as not lying, don´t you?
Then I guess not feeling is the same as not crying to you
You think not telling is the same as not lying, don´t you?
Then I guess not feeling is the same as not crying to you
In the red, in the rain, in the rain
In the red, in the red, in the rain, in the rain
In the red, in the red, in the rain, in the rain
In the red, in the red, in the rain, in the rain
If there is a lie, then there is a liar, too
And if there is a sin, then there is a sinner, too
And if there is a lie, then there is a liar, too
And if there is a sin, then there is a sinner, too
In the red, in the red, in the rain, in the rain
I´m in red, I´m in red, in the rain, in the rain
In the red, in the red, in the rain, in the rain
I´m in red, I´m in red, in the rain, in the rain
I´m in red, I´m in red, in the rain, in the rain
Can´t you hear me? can´t you hear me calling your name, girl?
The lyrics of "Red Rain" by The White Stripes are about unrequited love and the pain of not being heard or seen by the object of one's affections. The singer is calling out to a girl, standing in the red rain, but she can't hear him. He repeats his plea, asking if she can hear him calling her name. The chorus contains the same three lines, emphasizing the image of the singer standing in the red rain, which could be interpreted as an emotional state of turmoil and confusion.
The second verse shifts the focus to a philosophical reflection on truth and lies. The singer accuses the girl of thinking that not telling the truth is the same as not lying, and that not feeling is the same as not crying. He suggests that there can be no lie without a liar, and no sin without a sinner. This could be seen as a critique of a shallow and superficial understanding of morality and human interaction.
Overall, the lyrics of "Red Rain" suggest a sense of longing and desperation, as well as a search for deeper meaning and understanding. The imagery of the red rain and the repeated questions of "can't you hear me?" create a haunting and spellbinding atmosphere, enhanced by the sparse and raw sound of the guitar and drums.
Line by Line Meaning
Can´t you hear me calling your name, girl?
The singer is asking the girl whether she can hear him calling her name
I´m standing, standing in the red, red rain
The singer is standing in the red rain, which could represent the pain and intensity he feels inside
In the morning, standing in the red, red rain
The singer is still feeling intense emotions in the morning as he stands in the red rain
Can´t you hear me? can´t you hear me calling your name, girl?
The artist is repeating his question, hoping that the girl will hear him this time
You think not telling is the same as not lying, don´t you?
The artist is questioning the girl's beliefs about truth and lies, suggesting that not telling the whole truth is still deceptive
Then I guess not feeling is the same as not crying to you
The singer is suggesting that to the girl, hiding emotions may be equivalent to not showing vulnerability or sadness
In the red, in the rain, in the rain
The singer is still in the same emotional state, feeling intense pain and representing it as being in the red rain
If there is a lie, then there is a liar, too
The artist is stating a fact that if there is deception, there must be someone who is deceiving
And if there is a sin, then there is a sinner, too
The artist is suggesting that sin and guilt go hand in hand and cannot be separated from each other
I´m in red, I´m in red, in the rain, in the rain
The artist is still in the same emotional state, represented by the red rain
Can´t you hear me? can´t you hear me calling your name, girl?
The singer is again repeating his question, indicating how desperately he wants the girl to acknowledge him
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..