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The Real Meaning of the Lyrics to “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes

seven nation army white stripes meaning

“Seven Nation Army” is one of the most famous rock songs of the 21st Century. The White Stripes’ tune has been turned into a gigantic sports anthem on the level of “We Are the Champions”, and its iconic riff is still chanted endlessly. But what is Jack White all about when he sings about armies, the Queen of England and moving to Wichita?

We’re about to find that out as we look at a modern-day classic. Here’s what we know to be the real meaning of the lyrics to “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes.

seven nation army white stripes meaning

The White Stripes’ Journey to Making “Seven Nation Army”

The White Stripes arrived on the rock music scene just as the word “revival” began being stuck to all rock genres of the 1970s. The Strokes were bringing back garage rock. Interpol was reviving post-punk. The Darkness, for better or worse, was reanimating classic rock.

The White Stripes was reviving blues-based garage rock. But there were more than a few twists added.

Jack White was an innovator whose sound and vision were clear to him from the very start. Nobody sounded like The White Stripes, and nobody looked like the band. This was not because what they were doing was technically difficult—quite the opposite.

The White Stripes was a duo. Jack White sang and played a cheap red 1964 Valco Airline guitar. Meg White drummed brilliantly, like a child, almost without any technique or schooling.

Critics loved the band instantly. Their self-titled debut appeared in 1999 and “De Stijl” came out in 2000. The duo was always dressed in red, white or black. Their songs shifted from blues numbers to blistering, quick garage-rock. The lyrics were clever, often surreal. The melodies were catchy.

Garage-rock revival was about to peak in 2001, with bands like The Strokes and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs being heralded as the saviours of rock. The White Stripes’ members weren’t from New York and were influenced by different sounds. But in 2001, they were just as big, popular and loved by the critics.

seven nation army white stripes meaning

The Success of “White Blood Cells”

“White Blood Cells” was a nearly perfect album. It included the less than minute single “Fell in Love with the Girl,” the gritty “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” or the country-slam of “Hotel Yorba.” There was no reason for anyone to expect that The White Stripes could outdo themselves.

But, then, they did.

Just as some of their peers were losing their footing on rock music’s totem pole, The White Stripes released “Elephant.” It was their most grandiose, surreal, and focused album to date. It’s arguably their best work.

The release of “Elephant” was preceded by the music video and single “Seven Nation Army.” That song, and in particular the guitar riff, lifted the band’s profile even further. The White Stripes was now a globally successful rock band rewarded by MTV, rock radio, and the public. They were the hipster’s choice for a “revival” band who had, until that point, never set a foot wrong.

The Meaning of the Lyrics to “Seven Nation Army”

The lyrics to “Seven Nation Army” are obscure even by Jack White’s standards. In fact, it’s safe to say that there weren’t many songs with lyrics as impregnable as these that belonged to hit singles in 2003.

But mystery had served the band well. It was present in the songs, which often felt like old Bob Dylan tunes that he’d never recorded. It was part of the way that the two musicians presented themselves.

And it was, of course, part of the myth of the relationship between Jack and Meg. Officially, the two presented themselves as sisters and created an entire story about themselves. Unofficially, the two had been a couple, had married, and then divorced. Besides this, Meg was shy and reserved, rarely giving out interviews.

What does a “seven nation army mean”? Is it the army of NATO, the united armies that brought down Napoleon or something more horrific to come.

seven nation army white stripes meaning

Writing “Seven Nation Army”

Well, like “Sergent Pepper,” which started Paul McCartney mishearing the words “Salt and Pepper,” “Seven Nation Army” began, it is rumoured when Jack White misheard “Salvation Army.”

The image conjured particularly potent images in the mind of White. He related these to the pressures felt by the band. Ever since “White Blood Cells” the duo were under major scrutiny from the press.

It wasn’t just that The White Stripes were the “new big thing in indie rock.” The press was particularly interested in the story of the relationship between Jack and Meg. There were numerous stories about the dating life of the two.

Many of the lyrics deal with the topic of gossip. They focus on the speculation related to Jack and Meg, two famous musicians who’d told the world that they were brother and sister.

While the title and the iconic riff came first, Jack White cleverly wrote a story around this loose structure. He envisioned a character that arrives into town, achieves notoriety, but has all his friends spreading gossip about him. He then vows to move to the country (“I’m goin’ to Wichita”).

But, after purging themselves of all the bad vibes, the character is lured back to the big, evil city (“And the stains comin’ from my blood/Tell me, “Go back home”).

“Seven Nation Army” Guitar Riff

Arguably, the “Seven Nation Army” guitar riff is more famous than the lyrics themselves. The riff has become a mainstay of large sporting events in recent years. Gigantic crowds have no trouble chanting the notes.

Jack White wrote the guitar riff at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. He excitedly showed it to a musical associate, who wasn’t impressed and advised him to ditch it.

It’s a bluesy riff written in the key of E minor. While it is played on a six-stringed guitar, it sounds like a bass guitar because White used an octave pedal. Some have remarked that the seven-note sequence resembles the main theme in Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5.

For a short while, White decided to back-pocket the riff and try his hand at writing a James Bond theme song around it. Deciding that his chances of actually being asked to write such a song were marvellously slim, he opted to write a song for The White Stripes instead.

Meg White’s minimalist, heartbeat-like beat is nearly as iconic. It adds marvellously to the tension of the song. It launched plenty of debates about Meg White’s drumming ability, with many considering her an extraordinary drummer, albeit one that didn’t rely on technique too much.

Ironically, a few years later, White would write the James Bond theme song for the movie Quantum of Solace. That song is “Another Way to Die,” which was performed as a duet with Alicia Keys. It was, predictably, a hit.

seven nation army white stripes meaning

The Meaning of the “Seven Nation Army” Music Video

The video single for “Seven Nation Army” set up “Elephant” to become The White Stripes’ most successful album to date. The band had to fight for this to be the first single from the album. The record label XL Recordings originally insisted that “There’s No Home for You Here” be the first single.

An eye-catching music video helped make “Seven Nation Army” successful. Like the rest of The White Stripes’ image, it is built around simple, powerful imagery and the red, black, and white color scheme.

Alex Courtes and Martin Fougerol, known professionally as Alex and Martin, directed the video. The visual motifs are tied to the number three, which Jack White is enamoured with. The video is meant to resemble a peak through a kaleidoscope built from red, black and white triangles.

Throughout the music video, the triangles shift one by one, showing images of Jack and Meg White playing, elephants, and skeletons. Meanwhile, the images move faster and slower in tandem with the groove of the song.

The video won and was nominated for several video awards, including Best Editing at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.

The Legacy of “Seven Nation Army”

“Seven Nation Army” cemented the reputation of The White Stripes. The band had achieved mainstream acceptance. It became a number-one hit on the Modern Rock charts in the U.S. The single was a Top 40 hit on Billboard and a Top 10 hit in the U.K. and turned “Elephant” into one of the biggest albums of 2003.

Furthermore, it meant that The White Stripes wasn’t associated exclusively with the indie-rock movement anymore. The band was associated with alternative rock, punk blues, garage rock, and blues rock. Many bands with a similar sound, such as The Black Keys, became successful in the wake of “Seven Nation Army.”

The song continues to be immensely popular. So much so that the song has returned to the charts on several occasions since its initial release. For example, it was a charting hit in Italy in 2006, Austria in 2008, and Germany in 2010.

“Seven Nation Army” at Sports Events and Covers

Other than “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You” by Queen, there’s arguably no other song that’s been as embraced by sports fans. From football matches in the U.S. to the football World Cup or Champions League in Europe, the guitar riff has been chanted by gigantic stadiums.

Sports organizations have understood its appeal and have used it. For example, it was played before each game at the 2018 World Cup.

It’s also been coopted for various political events. “Seven Nation Army” has been played by candidates from the left and the right, good and evil, at rallies, since its release.

And, of course, this all means that “Seven Nation Army” has been covered frequently by other bands, including Audioslave, Metallica, The Flaming Lips, Maroon 5, KT Tunstall, Sepultura, Robbie Williams and numerous others.

What do Jack and Meg think of “Seven Nation Army”? Jack White says that the enduring popularity of the song continues to astound him. “This is a melody. They’re chanting a melody. It’s very strange.”

About author

Eduard Banulescu is a writer, blogger, and musician. As a content writer, Eduard has contributed to numerous websites and publications, including FootballCoin, Play2Earn, BeIN Crypto, Business2Community, NapoliSerieA, Extra Time Talk, Nitrogen Sports, Bavarian FootballWorks, etc. He has written a book about Nirvana, hosts a music podcasts, and writes weekly content about some of the best, new and old, alternative musicians. Eduard also runs and acts as editor-in-chief of the alternative rock music website www.alt77.com. Mr. Banulescu is also a musician, having played and recorded in various bands and as a solo artist.
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