Jack White says that the song is about a child trying to find his place in a dysfunctional family when a new baby comes.
The music video for "The Hardest Button to Button" is the third White Stripes video directed by Michel Gondry, after "Fell in Love with a Girl" and "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" (two years later, he would direct the music video for "The Denial Twist").
The video utilizes pixilation animation to create the effect of dozens of drum kits and guitar amplifiers multiplying to the rhythm of the song as Jack and Meg perform. For example, in one sequence, Meg is seen playing the bass drum at a subway station. At every beat she plays, she appears with a new bass drum while the last becomes vacant. This was achieved by first setting up a trail of bass drums. Then, Meg would be filmed performing a single beat on the last drum in the line, followed by the removal of that drum. Meg would then proceed to the next drum, play another beat, and so on. The final video is edited to include the drum beats with the sequence reversed, making it appear as if the drums are being added to the beat, appearing out of thin air. As many as 80 identical bass drums and Fender guitar amps were used in the video.
Much of the video was filmed around Riverside Drive and the Columbia University area near Grant's Tomb and around the 125th Street exit and surrounding neighborhood, - all part of the Upper West Side in Manhattan - New York City. Parts of the video were filmed at the 33rd Street PATH station.
There is a short cameo by Beck about two and a half minutes in as a man in a white suit presenting Jack with a "box with something in it".
This song and a parody of the video features in the episode of The Simpsons, Jazzy and the Pussycats. The White Stripes appear as themselves in the episode, in which Bart learns to play the drums. He is seen playing the drums around Springfeild in the same fashion as Meg in this song's video, ending in a collision and chase with The White Stripes themselves.
Released December 9, 2003
Format CD, 7"
Recorded April 2003
Genre Alternative rock, garage rock revival
Length 3:32
Label XL Recordings
Producer Jack White
The Hardest Button to Button
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My ma gave birth and we were checking it out
It was a baby boy
So we bought him a toy
It was a ray gun
And it was 1981
We named him Baby
He had a toothache
He started crying
It sounded like an earthquake
It didn't last long
Because I stopped it
I grabbed a rag doll
And stuck some little pins in it
Now we're a family
And we're alright now
We got money and a little place
To fight now
We don't know you
And we don't owe you
But if you see us around
I got something else to show you
Now it's easy when you don't know better
You think it's sleazy?
Then put it in a short letter
We keep warm
But there's just something wrong
When you
Just feel that you're the hardest little button to button
I had opinions
That didn't matter
I had a brain
That felt like pancake batter
I got a backyard
With nothing in it
Except a stick
A dog
And a box with something in it
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh-oh
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh-oh
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh-oh
The White Stripes's song The Hardest Button to Button, from their 2003 album Elephant, is a narrative-driven song that tells the story of a family, with a focus on the birth of a baby boy named Baby, and their journey to becoming a family unit. The opening lyrics describe the family as they move into an old house shortly after the mother has given birth. The family appears to be tight-knit and happy, as they buy Baby a ray gun as a toy. However, the depiction of the family takes a dark turn as the father uses pins on a rag doll to stop Baby's crying, ostensibly reflecting a disturbing and abusive environment. Through the lyrics, the band hints at themes of domestic abuse and neglect, especially towards Baby.
The second section of the song takes a different turn, as the lyrics reflect on the band's rise to fame and their newfound wealth. However, the lyrics still maintain a feeling of unease, suggesting that there is still something off within the seemingly perfect family unit. The chorus repeats the phrase "The hardest button to button," creating an intriguing metaphor for the feelings of unrest and discord within the family. The final verse describes the singer's feelings of inferiority and self-doubt, as he compares himself to other people and feels like the most difficult thing to handle in his environment. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and leaves the listener with a sense of uncertainty and unease about the family's future.
Line by Line Meaning
We started living in an old house
Our family moved into an old house
My ma gave birth and we were checking it out
My mother gave birth and we were all admiring the baby
It was a baby boy
The new baby was a boy
So we bought him a toy
We purchased a toy for him
It was a ray gun
The toy we bought was a ray gun
And it was 1981
This happened in the year 1981
We named him Baby
We named the baby 'Baby'
He had a toothache
The baby was in pain because of a toothache
He started crying
The baby began to cry
It sounded like an earthquake
The baby's crying was loud and intense
It didn't last long
The crying did not last very long
Because I stopped it
I was able to calm the baby down
I grabbed a rag doll
I picked up a rag doll
And stuck some little pins in it
I stuck some pins into the doll
Now we're a family
We are now a complete family
And we're alright now
We are doing well now
We got money and a little place
We have some money and a small house
To fight now
To work through problems together
We don't know you
We don't know who you are
And we don't owe you
We don't have any debts to you
But if you see us around
But if you happen to see us
I got something else to show you
I have something else to share with you
Now it's easy when you don't know better
It's easy to do something if you don't know it's wrong
You think it's sleazy?
Do you think it's morally wrong?
Then put it in a short letter
Then write a brief letter about it
We keep warm
We stay warm
But there's just something wrong
But there seems to be something not quite right
When you
When you feel
Just feel that you're the hardest little button to button
That you are difficult to understand or control
I had opinions
I used to have opinions
That didn't matter
But my opinions didn't really count for anything
I had a brain
I had a mind
That felt like pancake batter
That felt slow and sluggish
I got a backyard
I have a backyard
With nothing in it
But it's empty
Except a stick
There's only a stick there
A dog
And a dog
And a box with something in it
And a box with an unknown content
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
Uh-oh
An exclamation of surprise or concern
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
Uh-oh
An exclamation of surprise or concern
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
The hardest button to button
Something that is very hard to do
Uh-oh
An exclamation of surprise or concern
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Anthony White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alessa_cybergoth
I remember being 12 and listening to this A LOT. My sister was the one to introduce me to this band with this song.
I was the bullied kid in middle school, but listening to this always made me feel better... I could release my stress while rocking this song. I felt like a I was transported to a different dimension when I listened to this. I have good memories with this song.
Although I don't listen to The White Stripes anymore, I still love this song as a classic that made me go further with my musical tastes.
Thank You White Stripes for being there when I needed it, and thanks to my sister for showing me this band.
@raptordoommetal4714
[Verse 1]
We started living in an old house
My ma gave birth and we were checking it out
It was a baby boy, so we bought him a toy
It was a ray gun, and it was 1981
[Verse 2]
We named him 'Baby', he had a toothache
He started crying, it sounded like an earthquake
It didn't last long, because I stopped it
I grabbed a rag doll and stuck some little pins in it
[Verse 3]
Now we're a family, and we're alright now
We got money, and a little place to fight now
We don't know you, and we don't owe you
But if you see us around, I got something else to show you
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 4]
Now it's easy when you don't know better
You think it's sleazy? Then put it in a short letter
We keep warm, but there's just something wrong with you
Just feel that you're the hardest little button to button
[Verse 5]
I had opinions that didn't matter
I had a brain that felt like pancake batter
I got a backyard with nothing in it
Except a stick, a dog, and a box with something in it
[Chorus]
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh-oh
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh-oh
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
[Instrumental Break]
[Outro]
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh-oh
@Alex_OMalley
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
We started living in an old house
My ma gave birth and we were checking it out
It was a baby boy, so we bought him a toy
It was a ray gun, and it was 1981
[Verse 2]
We named him 'Baby', he had a toothache
He started crying, it sounded like an earthquake
It didn't last long, because I stopped it
I grabbed a rag doll and stuck some little pins in it
[Verse 3]
Now we're a family, and we're alright now
We got money, and a little place to fight now
We don't know you, and we don't owe you
But if you see us around, I got something else to show you
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 4]
Now it's easy when you don't know better
You think it's sleazy? Then put it in a short letter
We keep warm, but there's just something wrong with you
Just feel that you're the hardest little button to button
[Verse 5]
I had opinions that didn't matter
I had a brain that felt like pancake batter
I got a backyard with nothing in it
Except a stick, a dog, and a box with something in it
[Chorus]
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button, oh-oh
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button, oh-oh
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
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[Instrumental Break]
[Outro]
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button, oh-oh
@lt-yx1hx
"I'm gonna call an uber."
"Nah, don't worry, I brought my bass drum."
@toastiboi7618
69th like
@erwinlopez8368
Hahahaha *Zinger
@n.o.p.e6965
swichs to double bass
@johnlequebecois
Before Uber, there were drums
@The_Childrens_Ladder
Dam
@strawberrylemonadekristina
Absolute adore White Stripes videos. Their videos should be the gold standard for how other bands present their music visually. Every time I hear this kick ass song I see this video in my head and that is just righteous with me.
@probablybrian5460
OK Go is another band with insane music videos, I recommend "Obsession"
@adecadeofpoetry4831
Yeah, ur right. I feel like music videos are not as…”important “? as they use to be. (For context, I’m 31 yes old) I, actually, still go and look up videos to songs I like. I feel like the songs use to be almost centered around the video, they were worked on simultaneously or, at least, with the video in mind. If I’m wrong then they just did it better back then, period.
@strawberrylemonadekristina
@@adecadeofpoetry4831 Your comment is spot on! Here's a perfect example. This Elvis Costello video was made in 1979 and it's way cooler and imaginative than the majority of videos that were made in the 80s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU_zMvaX05Q&list=PL7mc1Uwj5AhcEtfvCZUzUDrXHVoA2X4-J&index=16