General Discussion

The Story Behind: "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes

by Blazek
Steemit, 2018?

Seven Nation Army is a song by the American blues-rock duo The White Stripes. The song was the lead single from the iconic fourth album Elephant, which was released in 2003. The song got the number one spot on the Modern Rock Tracks list for three consecutive weeks and was the third best selling rock song of the decade. Later it also won the Grammy Award for the Best Rock Song.

The song's title came from Jack White's childhood, when he though that the Salvation Army (Protestant Christian movement and an international charitable organization) he visited was actually called Seven Nation Army.

The lyrics in the song itself talk about how the duo deals with increasing popularity and the negative things that come with being in popular rock band. It tells a storyline of a protagonist that comes into his town where all of his aquaintances are talking behind his back and gossiping about him. White stated: "He feels so bad he has to leave town, but you get so lonely you come back. The song's about gossip. It's about me, Meg and the people we're dating."

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White later decided to make the riff into a bass line, using an effect pedal that sets all the notes to be played one octave lower than a guitar (the same as a bass guitar), with his semi acoustic Kay Hollowbody guitar from the 1950's. Jack also stated that he wanted to write this song without having a chorus but only a bridge, solo and verses. The song was recorded, mixed and mastered at Toe Rag Studios in London without the help of computers, which is traditional for White, because he claims that technology destroys his creative and working process.

Source: https://steemit.com/music/@blazek/the-story-behind-seven-nation-army-by-the-white-stripes

Profound Detroiters would fill seven armies.