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
Take
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And that was all that I needed
Then my friend offered me a drink for us to share
And that was all that I needed
Well, then I felt at ease
But then I´m not too hard to please
I guess you couldn't call me greedy
Then I was shocked to look up
She walked into the bar with her long, red, curly hair
And that was all that I needed
And I said to my friend, "good god, we´re lucky men just to even see her"
Take, take, take
Take, take, take
Take, take, take
And I could not resist, I just had to get close to her
And that was all that I needed
I walked and loomed around her table for a while
And that was all that I needed
Then I said, "I hate to bug you, ma´am, but can I have your autograph?"
And that was all that I needed
She pressed her lips against a white piece of paper
And that was all that I needed
Then I saw what she wrote, my heart is in my mouth
And that was all that I needed
Then she handed it to me, and I think that she could see
That that was all that I needed
I started to walk away but then I remembered ´hey, I forgot to get a picture´
So I asked her one more time, "could I have another favor?"
That was all that I needed
She was kind and posed with me
Then I knew my friend would see my celebrity meeting
Take, take, take
Take, take, take
Take, take, take
She turned and said to me, "I need to go to sleep,"
And it seemed so mean
It´s almost as if she could not appreciate how cool I was being
She said, "good night" and walked away
And I didn't know what to say
I just couldn't believe it
Well, it´s just not fair
I want to get a piece of hair
That was all that I needed
Or maybe a kiss on the cheek
I wouldn't wash it for a week
That would be all that I needed
But she didn't even care
That I was even there
What a horrible feeling
The White Stripes' song "Take Take Take" delves into the idea of celebrity culture and how easily people can be enticed by it. The lyrics describe a situation where the singer is sitting comfortably with his friend when they are suddenly joined by the famous actress Rita Hayworth. The singer becomes obsessed with her and wants to do anything to get her autograph and picture with her. He is convinced that this will make him special in the eyes of his friend and others around him. However, when the singer realizes that Rita Hayworth does not care about him, he is left feeling empty and unfulfilled.
The song is a commentary on the idea of celebrity worship and how easily people can buy into it. The singer's obsession with Rita Hayworth represents the need for people to have something to validate their existence. The song points out that even though people may have everything they need to be content, they are still drawn in by the allure of celebrity.
Overall, "Take Take Take" is a reflection on the emptiness that celebrity worship can bring. It suggests that true happiness can only come from within and not from external validation.
Line by Line Meaning
I was sitting there in a comfortable chair
I was happy with my current state of comfort
And that was all that I needed
I didn't need anything else to be content
Then my friend offered me a drink for us to share
My friend offered me a drink which made me feel relaxed
Well, then I felt at ease
The drink helped me loosen up
But then I'm not too hard to please
It doesn't take much to make me happy
I guess you couldn't call me greedy
I'm not greedy for wanting more
Then I was shocked to look up
I was surprised to see
And see Rita Hayworth there in a place so seedy
Seeing Rita Hayworth in an unexpected, shady location was a surprise
She walked into the bar with her long, red, curly hair
Rita Hayworth entered the bar and caught my attention with her striking appearance
And that was all that I needed
Rita Hayworth's entrance was enough to make me excited and happy
And I said to my friend, 'good god, we're lucky men just to even see her'
Seeing Rita Hayworth was a rare opportunity and I felt grateful
Take, take, take
This is the chorus of the song
And I could not resist, I just had to get close to her
I couldn't resist the temptation to approach her
I walked and loomed around her table for a while
I walked around her table, trying to get close to her
Then I said, 'I hate to bug you, ma'am, but can I have your autograph?'
I asked Rita Hayworth for her autograph, despite not wanting to bother her
She pressed her lips against a white piece of paper
Rita Hayworth signed the paper by kissing it
Then I saw what she wrote, my heart is in my mouth
Reading the autograph made me feel excited and nervous
And that was all that I needed
Getting Rita Hayworth's autograph was enough to make me happy
Then she handed it to me, and I think that she could see
Rita Hayworth gave me the autograph and I think she could tell I was happy
That that was all that I needed
Getting the autograph was enough to satisfy me
I started to walk away but then I remembered 'hey, I forgot to get a picture'
I almost left without taking a picture with her, but then remembered at the last minute
So I asked her one more time, 'could I have another favor?'
I asked Rita Hayworth to take a picture with me
That was all that I needed
Getting a picture with Rita Hayworth was the final thing I needed to feel satisfied
She was kind and posed with me
Rita Hayworth was nice enough to take a picture with me
Then I knew my friend would see my celebrity meeting
I was excited to show my friend the picture and tell him about meeting Rita Hayworth
She turned and said to me, 'I need to go to sleep,'
Rita Hayworth told me she needed to leave and go to bed
And it seemed so mean
I felt hurt by Rita Hayworth's abruptness
It's almost as if she could not appreciate how cool I was being
I felt that Rita Hayworth didn't recognize how lucky I was to meet her
She said, 'good night' and walked away
Rita Hayworth said goodbye and left
And I didn't know what to say
I was left feeling stunned and unable to respond
I just couldn't believe it
I was in disbelief about the encounter
Well, it's just not fair
I felt that the situation was unfair
I want to get a piece of hair
I wanted a keepsake from the encounter, such as a piece of Rita Hayworth's hair
That was all that I needed
Having a piece of hair from Rita Hayworth would have satisfied me
Or maybe a kiss on the cheek
I would have been happy with a kiss on the cheek from Rita Hayworth
I wouldn't wash it for a week
I would have treasured the memory of a kiss from Rita Hayworth for at least a week
That would be all that I needed
A kiss on the cheek would have been enough to make me happy
But she didn't even care
I felt rejected by Rita Hayworth's lack of interest
That I was even there
She didn't acknowledge my presence or the encounter
What a horrible feeling
I felt hurt and disappointed after the encounter
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..