Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
I'm gonna fight 'em off
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Takin' their time right behind my back
And I'm talkin' to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
Behind a cigarette
And the message comin' from my eyes
Says, "Leave it alone"
Don't wanna 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 comin' 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 feelin' comin' from my bones
Says, "Find a home"
I'm goin' to Wichita
Far from this opera forevermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin'
Right before the Lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will think no more
And the stains comin' from my blood
Tell me, "Go back home"
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Takin' their time right behind my back
And I'm talkin' to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
Behind a cigarette
And the message comin' from my eyes
Says, "Leave it alone"
Don't wanna 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 comin' 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 feelin' comin' from my bones
Says, "Find a home"
I'm goin' to Wichita
Far from this opera forevermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin'
Right before the Lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will think no more
And the stains comin' from my blood
Tell me, "Go back home"
Lyrics submitted by ruben, edited by smallwonderrobot, goddamnboxes, Maxitos, LHGL, bbbert
Seven Nation Army Lyrics as written by John Anthony White
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think that this song is about something lingering in his mind, something that he did and regrets, something that people won't stop talking about, and he just wants to forget it, but people won't let him.
"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"
This line refers to people who keep talking about "it", something that he did or something that happened. He wants to try and fight them off, he wants them to leave him alone, but they don't.
"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"
He's trying to relax, and make himself forget about it. He keeps telling himself to leave it alone and forget about it, but he can't because it's just so vivid in his mind.
"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"
This is basically talking about his frustration. Everyone knows about it and they keep reminding him, when all he wants to do is forget about it. It could be a rumor or some kind of gossip going around, that people have exaggerated and made into a big thing, when it shouldn't be.
"and if i catch you comin' back my way i'm gonna sell it to you and that ain't what you want to hear but that's what i'll do "
This line is pretty much talking about how he is angry and wants to take revenge on the person who is most to blame for this, whoever is trying to make his life hell.
"and the feeling coming from my bones says mind your own "
Mind your own? Hmm well I looked up the lyrics on a different sight and it said FIND A HOME not MIND YOUR OWN. Well...if it says "find a home", then I think that's referring to running away...running away from his problems, physically or mentally, just trying to get away from it all. If it says "mind your own", well I guess that could make sense too. It could just be again talking about trying to forget about it and not worry about it.
"i'm going to wichita far from this opera forever more i'm gonna work the straw make the sweat drip out of every pore "
This is again talking about trying to run away from the problem. "Opera" meaning the drama, the problem, the hell. He wants to get away from it. When it talks about "working the straw", it could mean that he wants to work and just keep working to try and help him forget about his past, just sort of start a new life.
"and i'm bleedin' and i'm bleedin' and i'm bleedin' right before the lord all the words are gonna bleed from me and i will sing no more "
Well I'm not EXACTLY sure what this means...I guess it just means that he is going to keep working until he rids himself of his past, and won't think anymore. (I thought it said THINK instead of SING...I still choose to believe that, because I like it better)
"and the stains coming from my blood tell me go back home"
No matter what he does...he can try to forget about his problems, he can run away from his problems...but eventually, he will always have to go back home, and go back and just deal with them.
This is just how I choose to interpet the song. I actually read in an interview with The White Stripes, and they had an explanation similar to that. Mine might not make too much sense though, because sometimes I have trouble explaining myself. For some reason, it annoys me when people "love" the song, and have NO IDEA what it's about. They don't even TRY to decipher the lyrics, and make some sense of them. Come on people, show some effort.
I think the "I'm gonna work the straw" line means that hes gonna do drugs to calm himself, like snorting cocaine.
I like your interpretation of the song. I could be completely wrong. But to add to what you have said maybe "it" or in your words the "something he did" is making the decision to have an abortion at some point in his life.<br /> <br /> The reason that comes to mind is I am sitting in a hotel room in Wichita, KS and I am watching Rachel Maddow on MSNBC who is doing a piece on Dr. George Tiller who was the Medical Director of a womens health care clinic in Wichita KS that provided abortion services for women after the 21 week of pregnancy. Dr. Tiller was killed in May of 2009 by an anti-abortionist who obviously had issue with what he was doing. Even before he was killed though Wichita had been the front line of the anti-abortionist war on abortion clincs and those who perform them. Tiller was a target long before he was killed. He actually shot 5 time in 1993 by an anti-abortionist but some how managed to live.<br /> <br /> The whole part about him "going to Wichita" might be about him taking the battle against the people who have given him grief about his decision to have an abortion by going to Wichita to work on the front line of the war where the fight is real; far from the opera that everyone else is participating in by simply debating the topic and not seeing the real violence playing out because of the difference of opinions.<br /> <br /> And in the end he is bleeding before the lord who the anti-abortionist say is on their side. And he is making his case by bleeding and bleeding and bleeding out his soul on the issue before the lord until he can sing no more. <br /> <br /> I don't know if Jack White has ever made his views on the whole pro-life, pro-choice debate known to the public or what it is. If anyone reading this has any information on this, I would be interested in knowing.<br /> <br /> Again I could be completely wrong on this. This is a pure speculation and does not represent any information based on truth. This just what happens when you have to spend the evening alone in a hotel room in Wichita, KS.
"all the words are gonna bleed from me <br /> and i will THINK no more" Is actually the right lyrics, as of the actual album brochure, not "Sing" so you are very correct :)
I think that you're placing too much importance on lyrics. It's nice to see a deeper meaning in songs sometimes, but some songs just don't have a really deep meaning.
@no "For some reason, it annoys me when people "love" the song, and have NO IDEA what it's about. They don't even TRY to decipher the lyrics, and make some sense of them. Come on people, show some effort." -- ha Well I love a song for the music first, usually, sometimes never knowing what it means! lol Understanding the meaning is just a bonus.
@no <br /> "and i'm bleedin' <br /> and i'm bleedin' <br /> and i'm bleedin' <br /> right before the lord <br /> all the words are gonna bleed from me <br /> and i will sing no more "<br /> I think that this means that I might have gotten so bad he is thinking about suicide cause lord is a common other name for god in some religions