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
Screwdriver
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I gotta have somewhere to go
I call up Tommy now
I call him on the telephone
Oh won't you wake up and come with me now
I'm going to the pawn and loan
Walkin' down thirty three
Walkin' down thirty oh
What am I supposed to think
I love people like a brother now
But I'm not gonna be their mother now
What if someone walked up to me
And
Like and apple cut right through me
I'm no just gonna stand their grinnin'
Cause I'm not the one who's sinnin'
Screwdriver
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Now that you have heard my story now
I got a little endin' to it now
Whenever you go out alone
Take a little dog a bone
And think about your little sister
And then you gotta drive it home
Screwdriver
I got a little feeling goin' now x11
Now now
In The White Stripes' song "Screwdriver," the lyrics describe the singer's need for companionship or perhaps just someone to pass the time with. He calls up his friend Tommy and invites him to go to the pawn shop. As they walk down the street, the singer contemplates his own state of mind. He loves people like brothers but doesn't want to be in a caretaker role. He imagines a scenario where someone hurts him emotionally, but he won't let it slide because he's not the one causing the sin. The chorus of "Screwdriver" comes in here, repeating the name of the song.
The singer adds a little moral to his story when he suggests that anyone going out alone should take a dog bone as a precaution - perhaps to appear friendlier to any potential strangers he might meet. The singer presents himself as a complex individual who desires companionship but also struggles with his own mind and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. The song, in many ways, focuses on the idea of defense and protection, which is epitomized by carrying a screwdriver, a tool often used for repairs.
Line by Line Meaning
Tuesday mornin' now
The song's narrator starts by describing a specific point in time
I gotta have somewhere to go
The singer needs a destination
I call up Tommy now
The singer contacts a friend
I call him on the telephone
The artist gets in touch with Tommy via phone
Oh won't you wake up and come with me now
The artist asks Tommy to join him on his errand
I'm going to the pawn and loan
The singer informs Tommy of their destination
Walkin' down thirty three
The two friends start walking down a specific street
Walkin' down thirty oh
Continuation of the previous line, reiterating their movement
What am I supposed to think
The artist wonders about the purpose of his actions
I love people like a brother now
The artist expresses his fondness and care for others
But I'm not gonna be their mother now
The singer sets a limit to the extent of his love and care for others
What if someone walked up to me
The artist presents a hypothetical situation
And like an apple cut right through me
Continuation of the hypothetical situation, where the singer gets hurt
I'm not just gonna stand there grinnin'
The singer asserts that he won't tolerate harm, and will respond to it
Cause I'm not the one who's sinnin'
The singer suggests that any aggressor is at fault, not him
Screwdriver
Title phrase, probably referring to a tool or a type of drink
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Musical interlude
Now that you have heard my story now
The singer addresses the listener
I got a little endin' to it now
The singer anticipates his story's conclusion
Whenever you go out alone
The artist gives a piece of advice
Take a little dog a bone
The advice is metaphorical and unclear, perhaps meaning to bring a companion or a peace offering
And think about your little sister
The artist suggests reflecting on one's familial relationships
And then you gotta drive it home
The singer asserts the importance of cementing the lesson learned
Screwdriver
Title phrase, repeated for emphasis
I got a little feeling goin' now x11
Ending musical outro
Now now
Final word in the song, likely serving for rhythm's sake
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..