It's quite possible that I'm your third man, girl
But it's a fact that I'm the seventh son
It's quite possible that I'm your third man, girl
But it's a fact that I'm the seventh son
And right now you could care less about me
But soon enough you will care, by the time I'm done

Let's have a ball and a biscuit, sugar
And take our sweet little time about it
Let's have a ball, girl
And take our sweet little time about it
Tell everybody in the place to just get out
And we'll get clean together
And I'll find me a soap box where I can shout it
Yeah

Hey
Yeah, read it in the newspaper
Ask your girlfriends and see if they know
Read it in the newspaper
Ask your girlfriends and see if they know
That my strength is ten fold, girl
I'll let you see if you want to before you go

Let's have a ball and a biscuit, sugar
And take our sweet little time about it
Let's have a ball
And take our sweet little time about it
Tell everybody in the place to just get out
We'll get clean together
And I'll find me a soap box where I can shout it
Yeah, I can think of one or two things to say about it
Alright, listen

You get the point now?

Yeah, it's quite possible that I'm your third man
But it's a fact that I'm the seventh son
It was the other two which made me your third
But it's my mother who made me the seventh son
And right now you could care less about me
But soon enough you will care by the time I'm done
Yeah, you just wait
Yeah, stick around
You'll figure it out


Lyrics submitted by ruben

Ball and Biscuit Lyrics as written by Jack White

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Ball and Biscuit song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

93 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +6
    General Comment

    You are all wrong! There is slang used throughout this song and it is drug referenced. A "ball" is slang for an 8-ball of cocaine. A "biscuit" is slang for a pressed cake of crack and sometimes refers to a pill of ecstacy. (Most likely X because of the slight machismo in his lyrics.) This is why he says "Tell everybody in the place to just get out We'll get clean together." Dig Deep people. Think.

    spazticplazticon July 08, 2005   Link
  • +4
    My Opinion

    Random thought that I have every time I hear this song.... while I totally agree that it's probably just about sex, I can't help but examine this one part:

    "Tell everybody in the place to just get out And we'll get clean together And I'll find me soapbox where I can shout it "

    I always wonder if the reference to 'getting clean' is actually about quitting drugs (or just stopping the party life). In order to do this, the speaker would have to get rid of people/places/things that they used/partied with ("tell everybody in the place to just get out"). Getting on the soapbox to shout about it would make sense, as the speaker would be proud of themselves -- and maybe acting a bit 'holier-than-thou' after getting their life cleaned up.

    Just a random thought!

    divineaverageon October 01, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I'm loving this song, especially the bluesy Led Zeppelin feel.

    tangled_webb27on June 23, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    The soloing in this song can only be described as "shit-hot."

    fenton qon May 08, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    yup- it positively oozes sex. reckon some indie babies have been made to this track? it is seven minutes long after all.

    countyourthoughtson November 15, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Being the seventh soon is a blues reference used a lot as being the seventh son is supposed to be special (I read it somewhere ages ago, but I can't remember why). It's just a coincidence that Jack is also the seventh son, and being a worshiper of the blues he'd definitely slip it in. Other than that, whether 'ball and biscuit' is a microphone name which the White Stripes tured dirty or not, this song is one hundred per cent sex. You don't even need the lyrics, you only need to hear that riff. It's a very very sexy riff.

    VortexOfLanguageon January 05, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I love how The White Stripes tend to keep the guitar rifts and drums beats plain and simple and allow ou to really focus on the lyrics... I really feel as if the importance of lyrics in songs has been lost by most artists in recent years.

    Freak090on September 29, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Derrhey!!! Guys, ever hear of Quaaludes?? In the 70's they were called Disco Biscuits see... so this song is a basic sex invite... having a ball... ya know? Let's have a ball and a biscuit.. let's have a quaalude and fuck. ;)

    MultumInParvoon April 17, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Remember the golden rule of this website. Every song is about sex or drugs or both.

    DanVitaleRockson September 29, 2023   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Jack says the ball & biscuit reference is to a recording microphone, though as its phrased in the song, it can't be anything more than a novel reference to sex. The "seventh son" is a reference to the fact that Jack is indeed, the seventh son. The second verse, the "read it in the newspapers" bit seems to confront Jack's sudden fame, and how he is well known.

    wesczon June 14, 2003   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.