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
St. James Infirmary
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, folks, I'm going down to St. James Infirmary
And seen my little baby there
She's stretched out on a long, white table
Well, she looks so good, so cold, so fair
Let her go, let her go, God bless her
You may search this whole wide world over
But you'll never find another sweetheart like me
Yeah
Take apart your bones and put 'em back together
Tell your momma that you're somebody new
Feel the breeze blowin'
Tell 'em all, "Look out, here he comes"
Now I can say whatever I feel like to you
Then give me six crap-shootin' pallbearers
Let a chorus girl sing me a song
Put a red-hot jazz band at the top
We raise Hallelujah, as we go along
Well
Well, folks, now that you have heard my story
Say, boy, hand me another shot of that rye
And if anyone else should ask you
Just tell 'em
I've got some of those St. James Infirmary blues
The White Stripes's rendition of "St. James Infirmary" is a melancholic yet soulful ballad about a man who visits his former lover in the hospital. The song is steeped in the history of New Orleans jazz, where it is believed to have originated as a traditional folk song in the early 1800s. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the scene at Joe's barroom, with Big Joe McKennedy's bloodshot eyes setting the tone for the somber storytelling that follows.
The singer's voice is haunting as he sings about his visit to St. James Infirmary, where he sees his beloved lying on a white table, presumably dead. The refrain, "Let her go, let her go, God bless her," is a poignant plea for closure, and suggests that the singer has come to terms with his loss. The final verses are a statement of the singer's last wishes, as he requests that he be buried in his high-top Stetson hat and that his funeral procession be accompanied by a jazz band and three singing women.
Line by Line Meaning
It was down by old Joe's barroom, on the corner of the square
The singer sets the scene, describing the location where the events of the song take place - a popular bar in a public square.
They were serving drinks as usual, and the usual crowd was there
The bar was operating normally with a typical group of regulars present.
On my left stood Big Joe McKennedy, and his eyes were bloodshot red
The singer notes the presence of a specific person, mentioning their appearance - in this case, indicating that Big Joe McKennedy had red, bloodshot eyes.
And he turned his face to the people, these were the very words he said
Big Joe McKennedy addressed the crowd with an important message.
I was down to St. James infirmary, I saw my baby there
The artist reveals that they recently visited a hospital called St. James infirmary and saw their significant other there.
She was stretched out on a long white table, So sweet, cool and so fair
The singer describes their partner's appearance in the hospital, lying on a table in a peaceful, beautiful manner.
Let her go, let her go, God bless her
The singer expresses their desire to let go of their significant other, offering a blessing from God.
Wherever she may be, She may search this whole wide world over, Never find a sweeter man as me
The artist boasts about their own qualities, suggesting that their partner will never find someone as sweet as them.
When I die please bury me in my high top Stetson hat, Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain, The gang'll know I died standing pat
The artist makes a request for their funeral arrangements, asking to be buried in a specific hat and with a valuable item to signal their success in life.
I want six crapshooters to be my pallbearers, Three pretty women to sing a song, Stick a jazz band on my hearse wagon, Raise hell as I stroll along
The artist has additional requests for their funeral, asking for specific people to serve as pallbearers and entertainment for the procession, with the intention of having a lively, celebratory farewell.
Let her go Let her go, God bless her, Wherever she may be, She may search this whole wide, World over, She'll never find a sweeter, Man as me
The song concludes with a repeat of the same verse from earlier, with the singer reiterating their desire to let go of their partner while continuing to praise their own qualities.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Irving Mills
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..