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
X-Rated
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And things didn't seem to work out
Divorce is the key to being loose and free
But you're gonna be talked about
Everybody knows that you loved once
They think you'll love again
You can't have a male friend
When you're a has been
[yeah]
And if you're rated x
You're some kinda gold
That even men turn [?] to make
But I think it's wrong
To judge every picture
If a cheap camera makes a mistake
So if your best friend's husband
Says to you
That you started lookin' good
You should've known he would
And he would if he could
And he will if you're rated x
Well nobody knows where you're going
But they sure know where you been
All they're thinking of
Is your experience in love
Well their minds fill up with sin
The women all look at you like you're bad
The men all hope you are
But if you go too far
You're gonna wear the scar
Of a women, rated x
[yeah]
And if you're rated x
You're some kinda gold
That even men turn [?] to make
But I think it's wrong
To judge every picture
If a cheap camera makes a mistake
So if your best friend's husband
Says to you
That you started lookin' good
You should've known he would
And he would if he could
And he will if you're rated x
Yeah us women don't have a chance
Cause if you've been married
You can't have any fun at all
You're rated x
No matter what they do
They're gonna talk about ya
Don't know what to think about it
Just let 'em talk
Just let 'em talk meg
The White Stripes's song X-Rated explores the societal and cultural stigmas surrounding divorced or unmarried women. The song conveys that once a woman is divorced or unmarried, she is seen as a "has been" and cannot have male friends without being talked about. The lyrics suggest that society judges women who have been married or divorced harshly and places them into a "rated x" category, making them outcasts of society. This is shown in lines such as "Everybody knows that you loved once // They think you'll love again // You can't have a male friend // When you're a has-been // Or a woman, you're rated X."
The song reveals a double standard when it comes to men and women and how they are judged. The lyrics suggest that men are not judged as harshly as women for their actions and that women are unfairly labeled as "rated x" for something as simple as being divorced or unmarried. The song highlights the oppressive nature of societal expectations for women and the judgment they face no matter what they do. The lines "Well nobody knows where you're going // But they sure know where you been // All they're thinking of // Is your experience in love // Well their minds fill up with sin" demonstrate that women are defined by their past experiences rather than their current choices.
Overall, The White Stripes's song X-Rated speaks to the struggles and expectations faced by women in society. The song delivers a strong message that women should not be judged based on their relationship status or past experiences and highlights the need for societal change to allow women to be free to live their lives without judgment.
Line by Line Meaning
Well if you've been a married woman
If you were previously married
And things didn't seem to work out
And your marriage didn't work
Divorce is the key to being loose and free
People think that divorce is a way to be free
But you're gonna be talked about
But people will gossip about you
Everybody knows that you loved once
Everyone knows that you were in love before
They think you'll love again
They expect you to fall in love again
You can't have a male friend
People will assume the worst if you're friends with a man
When you're a has-been
When you're no longer desirable
Or a woman, you're rated x
As a woman, you're judged harshly by society
[yeah]
And if you're rated x
If you're judged harshly by society
You're some kinda gold
You're viewed as something valuable
That even men turn [?] to make
Something that even men are attracted to
But I think it's wrong
The songwriter disagrees with this judgement
To judge every picture
To judge everyone
If a cheap camera makes a mistake
If someone makes an error in judgement based on incomplete information
So if your best friend's husband
If your friend's husband
Says to you
Tells you
That you started lookin' good
That you're attractive
You should've known he would
You should have expected him to make a comment
And he would if he could
He would try to pursue you, given the opportunity
And he will if you're rated x
And he will try to pursue you, given that you're judged harshly by society
Well nobody knows where you're going
People are unaware of your future plans
But they sure know where you been
But people know about your past experiences
All they're thinking of
All they think about
Is your experience in love
Is your past experiences with love
Well their minds fill up with sin
People judge others and have impure thoughts
The women all look at you like you're bad
Other women see you as undesirable
The men all hope you are
Men hope that you're open to their advances
But if you go too far
But if you're too flirtatious or promiscuous
You're gonna wear the scar
You'll face the consequences of your actions and be judged even more harshly
Of a woman, rated x
Of a woman who is judged harshly by society
[yeah]
And if you're rated x
If you're judged harshly by society
You're some kinda gold
You're viewed as something valuable
That even men turn [?] to make
Something that even men are attracted to
But I think it's wrong
The songwriter disagrees with this judgement
To judge every picture
To judge everyone
If a cheap camera makes a mistake
If someone makes an error in judgement based on incomplete information
So if your best friend's husband
If your friend's husband
Says to you
Tells you
That you started lookin' good
That you're attractive
You should've known he would
You should have expected him to make a comment
And he would if he could
He would try to pursue you, given the opportunity
And he will if you're rated x
And he will try to pursue you, given that you're judged harshly by society
Yeah us women don't have a chance
It's unfair for women
Cause if you've been married
If you were previously married
You can't have any fun at all
People expect women to act a certain way
You're rated x
And you're judged harshly by society
No matter what they do
Regardless of their actions
They're gonna talk about ya
People will gossip about you
Don't know what to think about it
It's difficult to know how to feel about the judgemental society
Just let 'em talk
Just ignore the criticism
Just let 'em talk meg
Just ignore the criticism
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES MC CULLOCH, NICK GILDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GWade1217
Well if you've been a married woman
And things didn't seem to work out
Divorce is the key to being loose and free
But you're gonna be talked about
Everybody knows that you loved once
They think you'll love again
You can't have a male friend
When you're a has been
Or a woman, you're rated x
And if you're rated x
You're some kinda goal
Even men turned civil try to make
But I think it's wrong
To judge every picture
If a cheap camera makes a mistake
So if your best friend's husband
Says to you
That you started lookin' good
You should've known he would
And he would if he could
And he will if you're rated x
Well nobody knows where you're going
But they sure know where you been
All they're thinking of
Is your experience in love
Well their minds fill up with sin
The women all look at you like you're bad
The men all hope you are
But if you go too far
You're gonna wear the scar
Of a women, rated x
And if you're rated x
You're some kinda goal
Even men turned civil try to make
But I think it's wrong
To judge every picture
If a cheap camera makes a mistake
So if your best friend's husband
Says to you
That you started lookin' good
You should've known he would
And he would if he could
And he will if you're rated x
Yeah us women don't have a chance
Cause if you've been married
You can't have any fun at all
You're rated x
No matter what they do
They're gonna talk about ya
Don't know what to think about it
Just let 'em talk
Just let 'em talk meg
@WebFerret246
My left ear loved the lyrics.
@GWade1217
Well if you've been a married woman
And things didn't seem to work out
Divorce is the key to being loose and free
But you're gonna be talked about
Everybody knows that you loved once
They think you'll love again
You can't have a male friend
When you're a has been
Or a woman, you're rated x
And if you're rated x
You're some kinda goal
Even men turned civil try to make
But I think it's wrong
To judge every picture
If a cheap camera makes a mistake
So if your best friend's husband
Says to you
That you started lookin' good
You should've known he would
And he would if he could
And he will if you're rated x
Well nobody knows where you're going
But they sure know where you been
All they're thinking of
Is your experience in love
Well their minds fill up with sin
The women all look at you like you're bad
The men all hope you are
But if you go too far
You're gonna wear the scar
Of a women, rated x
And if you're rated x
You're some kinda goal
Even men turned civil try to make
But I think it's wrong
To judge every picture
If a cheap camera makes a mistake
So if your best friend's husband
Says to you
That you started lookin' good
You should've known he would
And he would if he could
And he will if you're rated x
Yeah us women don't have a chance
Cause if you've been married
You can't have any fun at all
You're rated x
No matter what they do
They're gonna talk about ya
Don't know what to think about it
Just let 'em talk
Just let 'em talk meg
@dayzztrippert
white stripes yeh yeh just goes to show you trialz and tribulationz of life makes good songz
@bignorway69
Only Jack White could take a Loretta Lynn song and make it so fucking cool!!!! He also took Dolly Parton's Jolene and made it kick ass. All hail Jack White the Great!
@jennyf646
These songs were cool before Jack.
@bignorway69
@GLAMOROUSPINK05 Yeah I seem to remember them singing something together you're right. Totally awesome!
@thewhitestripeslover
@Thegirlinthefedora99 actually, Jack White and Karen Elson divorced couple months ago.. :) but I can agree with you - White Stripes forever!
@beatlezrawesome
@SuperGreenbay2011 With this song playing in the back ground:)
@Voludo_Loco78
Beautiful Like A Rock In A Cop's Face....
@awsometownnuked
Sneatio what is wrong with you