The song shows a rare example of the Phrygian Half Cadence in popular music. It is also a rare example of a popular song with a wholly instrumental refrain.
According to White, "Seven Nation Army" was what he used to call the Salvation Army as a child.
In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Seven Nation Army" at number 8 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In September 2005, NME placed "Seven Nation Army" at number 5 in its list of the 50 Greatest Tracks Of The Decade. In May 2008, Rolling Stone placed this song at number 21 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.
A remix of the song was used in the trailer for Battlefield 1, which caused the song to spike up to the low 100's on Itunes charts.
seven_nation_army
The White Stripes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Taking their time right behind my back
And I'm talking to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
And the message coming from my eyes
Says leave it alone
Don't want to hear about it
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell
And if I catch it coming back my way
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do
And the feeling coming from my bones
Says find a home
I'm going to Wichita
Far from this opera for evermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding
Right before the lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will sing no more
And the stains coming from my blood
Tell me go back home
The lyrics of The White Stripes’ song “Seven Nation Army” contain a confrontation between the singer and an unspecified adversary. The message communicated by the singer is one of rebellion and resistance to authority. The first verse sets the tone with the declaration “I’m gonna fight ‘em all / A seven nation army couldn’t hold me back.” This is followed by a description of the unnamed antagonists: “They’re gonna rip it off / Taking their time right behind my back.” The singer is aware of the impending attack but is resolute in standing up to it.
The second verse of the song sees the singer reflecting on the situation and talking to themselves at night. They are preoccupied with the confrontation and state that, “the message coming from my eyes / Says leave it alone.” Despite this, the singer is also aware of the gossip that is circulating about the situation. The chorus repeats the final phrase of the first verse (“And I’m talking to myself at night / Because I can’t forget”) and adds the observation that “Every single one’s got a story to tell / Everyone knows about it / From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell.” The singer is keenly aware of the attention that the situation is attracting.
The final verse of the song sees the singer offering a resolution to the conflict. They state that they are “going to Wichita” to escape the situation and to work hard (“Gonna work the straw / Make the sweat drip out of every pore”). However, the verse concludes on a note of despair, with the singer bleeding before the lord and acknowledging that “All the words are gonna bleed from me / And I will sing no more / And the stains coming from my blood / Tell me go back home.” Here, the tone of defiance is replaced with one of resignation and acceptance of one’s fate.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna fight 'em all
I'm ready to take on whatever challenges come my way
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
No obstacle is big enough to stop me from achieving my goal
They're gonna rip it off
Others may try to take what's mine
Taking their time right behind my back
They may be sneaky and deceptive in their attempts to harm me
And I'm talking to myself at night
I'm constantly reflecting and analyzing my own thoughts and actions
Because I can't forget
I have deeply ingrained memories that I can't shake off
Back and forth through my mind
My thoughts are always in flux, going back and forth
Behind a cigarette
My addiction is a constant distraction
And the message coming from my eyes
My body language says to leave me alone
Says leave it alone
I don't want to talk about it
Don't want to hear about it
I'm tired of people talking about their problems to me
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone has their own troubles
Everyone knows about it
These stories are so common that everyone is aware of them
From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell
No one is immune to these issues
And if I catch it coming back my way
If someone tries to harm me again
I'm gonna serve it to you
I will retaliate with force
And that ain't what you want to hear
But it's the truth, and it's not pleasant
But that's what I'll do
I won't back down from confrontation
And the feeling coming from my bones
My intuition is telling me to find a place to belong
Says find a home
I need to find my place in the world
I'm going to Wichita
I'm leaving my current situation
Far from this opera for evermore
I'm distancing myself from drama and conflict once and for all
I'm gonna work the straw
I'm going to do hard manual labor to clear my mind
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
I want to feel physically exhausted and mentally refreshed
And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding
I'm going through pain and suffering
Right before the lord
I'm facing my struggles head-on and asking for guidance
All the words are gonna bleed from me
I'm going to express myself freely and openly
And I will sing no more
I'm done with this chapter of my life and ready to move on
And the stains coming from my blood
The physical and emotional scars will never fully heal
Tell me go back home
But this is my new home, and I'm ready to start fresh
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Anthony White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lelvova8148
Lyrics:
I'm gonna fight 'em off
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Taking their time right behind my back
And I'm talking to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
Behind a cigarette
And the message coming from my eyes
Says "Leave it alone"
Don't want to hear about it
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
From the Queen of England to the Hounds of Hell
And if I catch it coming back my way
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do
And the feeling coming from my bones
Says "Find a home"
I'm going to Wichita
Far from this opera forevermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding
Right before the Lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will sing no more
And the stains coming from my blood
Tell me "Go back home"
@yungcuz355
0% naked girls
0% drugs
0% cursing
100% triangles
@horatio1316
It's mesmerizing isn't it
@jahelthegamer6827
Yes
@siankdieno
2:00 circles
@m.i.a3430
Yep definitely triangles
@JeffreyBernabe
Illuminati Intensifies
@wonton_7708
I liked the part where they zoomed in on the person in the triangle. Cool part.
@mordecai6106
Waahaa _1 same
@abdielsilva4802
I was hoping someone said that's the whole song so I could say woooosh
@ragingcanadian9526
3 guys bro like that’s the entire song that they zoom in broooo