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
Why Can
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking at the ceiling
Everything's so funny
I don't have any money
People don't even know me
But they know how to show me
Why can't you be nicer to me?
My pride is dying
I think I'm all done lying
Nobody's sharing
So I stop caring
All alone and walking
Nobody's talking
Why can't you be nicer to me?
Well the wind is blowing
Where am I going
Off a bridge and falling
Nobody's calling
On the ground and laying
Nobody's praying
Why can't you be nicer to me?
The lyrics of The White Stripes' song "Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me?" convey feelings of despair and isolation. The first stanza speaks of somebody screaming and looking at the ceiling, indicating a possible psychotic episode or a feeling of being trapped. The singer expresses that they do not have any money and that people do not know them yet know how to show them; this implies that the singer is receiving negative treatment from unknown people, leading to a sense of confusion and feeling lost.
The second stanza continues the theme of isolation and neglect. The singer's pride is dying, showing a feeling of hopelessness and defeat. They express a feeling of being all done with lying and nobody sharing, leading to them stop caring. They are all alone and walking, and nobody is talking to them. This indicates a feeling of disconnect and not belonging, leading the singer longing for someone to be nicer to them.
The final stanza shows a sense of desperation, with the singer talking about the wind blowing and not knowing where they are going. Falling off a bridge and nobody calling, nobody praying, and lying on the ground. This invokes a sense of being forgotten, uncared for, and unloved. The repeated refrain, "Why can't you be nicer to me?" shows the singer's desperate plea for kindness and human connection.
Overall, the song portrays a bleak and desolate image of the singer's life, lacking human connection and love. The repetition of the refrain captures the singer's loneliness and longing for someone to be kind to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody's screaming
The singer is in a situation where someone is screaming loudly around them.
Looking at the ceiling
The singer is specifically observing the ceiling, most likely due to the chaos happening around them.
Everything's so funny
Despite the chaos, everything seems humorous to the singer.
I don't have any money
The artist is penniless and unable to contribute to their own financial needs.
People don't even know me
Those around the artist are unfamiliar with them as an individual.
But they know how to show me
Despite not knowing the singer, the individuals around them are aware of how to treat them poorly.
Why can't you be nicer to me?
The singer is questioning why others cannot show them kindness and decency.
My pride is dying
The artist's sense of self-respect is deteriorating.
I think I'm all done lying
The artist is tired of pretending and is striving for honesty and authenticity in their life.
Nobody's sharing
The artist's environment is one of solitude and lacking in any sense of community or support.
So I stop caring
With the lack of social support, the singer has become apathetic and disengaged.
All alone and walking
The artist is walking by themselves.
Nobody's talking
There is a lack of communication and conversation in the singer's surroundings.
Well the wind is blowing
The wind is currently blowing in the environment around the singer.
Where am I going
The singer is uncertain about their direction in life.
Off a bridge and falling
The artist is imagining a scenario in which they would fall off a bridge, suggesting suicidal ideation.
Nobody's calling
No one is attempting to reach out to or contact the artist.
On the ground and laying
The singer is on the ground, possibly having fallen or collapsed.
Nobody's praying
There is a sense of hopelessness and abandonment in the singer's surroundings, as even those who might pray for them are unavailable or unwilling.
Why can't you be nicer to me?
The artist reiterates their frustration with the lack of kindness and compassion in their life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rock N' Roll True Stories
Think we’ll ever see a White Stripes reunion? https://youtu.be/A5KNRc9xBRU
Tudor Miller
Someday. Hopefully! Meg White is a goddess.
Nameless
They're uh...they were better than The Smashing Pumpkins ever were. If he decides to play any of the songs without her I wouldn't notice.
I remember when "Fell in Love With a Girl" became popular and some people were wondering if they were going to be the next Nirvana. I think that's what killed rock & roll in the mainstream. There was so much stuff that was being rushed to the radio trying to recreate the success of Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Will they reunite? If they do, I don't think that anyone other than their pre-established fan base will notice. I'd actually forgotten about the band entirely until this video showed up on YouTube.
Stevey J
Nope😂 unfortunately
MTV's Sanctuary
It's all up to Meg, she wants to live a private life and deserves that.
Ron McKay
@drew t that's not gonna happen or is just as likely to happen as these 2 getting in there
tetepeb
Meg should get a medal for not having her whole life on social media or out in the public, almost every artist today should learn and take after her.
Brett Roy Eaton
Yes spot on 👌
Brett Roy Eaton
Brilliant our right you are sir
Mike W.
I met Jack White back in 2003 right before the 7 Nation Army Release. Talked to him for hours about his wife and kids. He even played 7 nation Army on a guitar in his van for me. A few weeks latter I herd it on the radio for the fist time. He gave me his # so I could sing with him in studio but I lost the ## probability the worst regret of my life.