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#886: The White Stripes – My Doorbell

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I can kind of remember The White Stripes bringing out Get Behind Me Satan in 2005. Kind of. ‘Blue Orchid’ was the first single. Its video was something of the big exclusive on MTV2. It was freaky looking, the track had a disgusting riff. It was like, “Yeah, The White Stripes are back. And Jesus, this track is something else.” Of course, I wasn’t really thinking along those specific lines at the time. I was 10. And because I didn’t listen to albums like that back then, once the ‘Orchid’ single was released and it charted in the UK, I didn’t hear much from The White Stripes for a few months maybe. Then the video for ‘My Doorbell’ started showing, and I was left wondering how they had made such a U-turn in sound for their next single. In fact, when I saw the video I thought it was a special song written for a children’s show or something. But no, this was also on the album.

It’s only quite recently that I got into properly got into this one, but its hook and those piano vamps have stuck with me for years. Jack White’s been thinking about his doorbell and is wondering when you’re gonna ring it. Sing that with a good melody, and people will sing it back to you at festivals. But now I’ve come to appreciate it for its general bluesy feel, and that thumping rhythm section courtesy of Meg White. The lyrics I’ve never paid much attention to – may annoy some, others may not care – but I’ve come to really like how Jack White just delivers his words. He doesn’t really enunciate his words, but sings them in such a way that they sort of make themselves clearer after repeated listens. Apparently, he said in concert that the track is about an old man waiting for death, and so when’s he asking when his doorbell is going to be rang he’s actually asking when is death gonna come knocking so I can join other friends who have passed on. Kinda sad. But quite humorous when you think about that and then watch the music video.

It appears that this’ll be the last White Stripes song in this whole series thing that I write about. I’ve known a lot of White Stripes tracks, though I’ve never been that huge of a fan. I do appreciate them quite a bit though. I wrote about another of their tracks in the past. Two of them actually, one is quite hidden. But here is a list of other White Stripes tracks that I think are crackers: ‘Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground’, ‘I Think I Smell a Rat’, ‘Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine’, and ‘The Denial Twist’. That’s all she wrote.

#574: The White Stripes – I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself

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Gotta say I don’t have much on the brain about this one….. Nothing on the personal side of things anyway. I think the song’s great don’t get me wrong, The White Stripes achieve a fantastic cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s composition (originally made popular by Dusty Springfield in 1964), but I think I just saw the music video on MTV when I was about nine and thought it was cool. And because I was only nine and still thought girls were icky, I never got the appeal of Kate Moss pole dancing and writhing on a table. The song just simply sounded awesome. That is the official music video by the way for any new readers or listeners, not my doing.

The White Stripes were alright. They have great songs but I’m not a huuuge fan… It always was a big thing when they announced a new single or album though. I recall the video for ‘Icky Thump’ being shown almost every hour on MTV2 in 2007 when it was released. Good times being 12 and everything. Good tune too. Though you wouldn’t find me being the first in line to buy their albums. Was a shame when they split though. Probably still had so much to give.

So anyway, ‘I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself’ appears on the band’s 2003 album Elephant as its fourth track. This track’s tone is what pulls me in every time. There’s something very slinky, sneaky and sly in the way it’s performed. Jack White gets that ashy tone on his guitars and sounds like he’s wailing his vocals about in an empty corridor. Meg White gets all primal on the drums. The contrast between the quiet verses and the sudden release in the choruses. That triumphant ending where the song title’s repeated and everything fades out. Man. This is a great track. Whenever anyone attempts a cover of an old track, I feel they should always adapt it to their style whilst trying to capture the magic of what makes the original. The White Stripes did it here. This is one of those good covers.

My iPod #404: Supergrass – G-Song

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*yawn* It’s been a while. How’s everyone doing?

Hope you all enjoyed your festivities over the holiday season. Feels quite strange starting this up again, seeing as I haven’t done one thing on this site since late November. I apologise. I need breaks too. But here I am again, and here I should be (almost) every day to give you the songs on my iPod beginning with the letter ‘G’.

So what better way to start it, than with a track entitled “G-Song” – the fifth track on “In It for the Money“, the second album by Supergrass. I always wondered why it was named as so.  The title has nothing to do with the song’s subject matter; the phrase doesn’t appear in the lyrics. But it came to me not so long ago. The song’s written in the key of G Major. Duh.

The only reason I can think of enjoying “G-Song” is having listened to it repetitively alongside the other eleven tracks that accompany it on “In It for the Money”. After “Late in the Day” ends I always expect “G-Song”‘s sudden introduction to kick in, with its chugging guitars and solid bass. The instrumentation is something that really gets to me when listening to this track. It’s got a real *oomph* to it. Can’t find a better way to describe it. Especially the phrase that plays during the “There may be troubles…” refrain. Groovy as anything.

Like many of the other tracks on the album, it also contains a bridge which sounds like it could have been used to a completely different song altogether. Yet somehow, the guys manage to bring it back right into the song’s already established riff. That is good stuff, right there.

In terms of lyrics, I have a feeling that this track is one of those where the band worked on the music beforehand before coming up with the words to suit it. Gaz Coombes sings about feeling strange whilst walking on his way home or something….. I really don’t know. But that’s not a bad thing. What matters is, this track is pretty good. Recommended listen.

On an unrelated note, “I Should Coco” turns twenty this year. Anyone on getting a Supergrass campaign started to get all their nineties albums re-released and remastered? Very politely ask Gaz Coombes and Mick Quinn.

Annnnnnnddddd……

The White Stripes – Fell in Love with a Girl

Hello again. If you read the final post from the F’s, you’ll remember me writing that I had actually skipped one track out by mistake. This was the track. How I skipped it, I’ll never know.

“Fell in Love with a Girl”. Classic. Not much to say. Bass-less, simple five chord track with an amazing video which makes you wonder what you’ve been doing with Lego your whole life.

I remember seeing the start of this video when I was younger, and being disappointed when it turned out that it wasn’t “Walkie Talkie Man” by Steriogram. That video was directed by Michel Gondry too. As a result, I would always change it without really listening to the song. Big mistake. The White Stripes’ video and song are much better.

Was never a huge White Stripes fan. But this track is great. Have to say. RIP.

I bet no one remembers who Steriogram is.