The White Stripes – Blue Orchid

• -1
  My Opinion:Nobody else getting blue balls from the 'you took a white orchid and turned it blue'? orchid literally means testicle, so blue orchid directly translates to blue balls. first time listening to this song i just figured it was about a girl being a tease but that's just my 2 cents

  Flagged vitriolum13on May 10, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Interpretation:I went through all comments and didn't find the interpretation that would feel totally right for me.
  
  I think we all agree that the song is about thoughtless devastation of something valuable and pure.
  What can be so sacred to Jack that its violation pisses him off to that level? I'm sure it's his art and privacy. Another time while reading the lyrics I had an association with the statement Jack directed to his pseudo-fans registered to vault (if you haven't heard about the case,the vault members are given an opportunity to buy limited vinyls at a bargain price and some of them made a business from reselling them on ebay at a few times higher price; which of course pissed Jack off and made him stop offering these gifts to valt members for some time). Although this happened a long time after he had written this song, I sense the same anger and see similar statements.
  
  So in my opinion the white orchid symbolises the gift of music that was given to the audience. However, the music is not enough for media and fans who want to know everything about musician's private life, corner him, want to have everything given on a plate. The artist's reaction is complete withdrawal from media.
  
  The first verse says: We had a magical connection and you ruined it with your insistence that made us limit our contacts. Is that what you wanted?
  2: You better be pleased with this what we provide you or else you won't get anything. We have right to keep our privacy for ourselves.
  3:We gave you the most valuable thing - our art but it wasn't enough for you. Sad that you don't see a bad thing in your gross behaviour (you think that you have right to break into our lives) and consider our reaction exaggerated.
  
  How dare you? Don't be so immature. Go to hell you media and pseudo-fans! Let us play music and leave our privacy alone!

  Flag Lelkaon February 29, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• -1
  General Comment:How has no one caught that Jack completely ripped off the Misfits' "Helena" for the main riff of this song? Don't get me wrong, I like both songs, it's just...wow.

  Flagged ScareCrow46n2on April 26, 2011   Link

  • 1 Reply Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
    0

    Oh trust me i've noticed it. different key and it's a little bit different throughout but it's essentially the same riff. This is almost unavoidable these days so i don't blame him too much, he's a great musician and is a great guitarist. Helena is a better song if you ask me though, i'm a punk kinda guy for life

    Flag PukeRockon December 22, 2012  
• -1
  My Interpretation:Well I haven't read all the pages, but I got a completely different meaning than most I've seen..
  Of course, this idea came to me when I still thought it said "you tickled my orchid and turned it blue" lol.
  But to me it seemed to be a young girl talking to/about a pedophile.
  "You got a reaction" could refer to him well... getting a "reaction" to her.
  "How old are you now" is obvious, about how old he is compared to her.
  "took a white orchid and turned it blue" I think has to do with the deflowering, robbing a girl of her innocence.
  "Your lip tastes sour
  But you think that it's me just teasing you" is particularly intriguing.. Like they're in an illicit relationship and the man is self-conscious and thinks a young girl could never want him (true) and so thinks she's just teasing him. When really he's the one using her.
  
  Kinda twisted I guess...

  Flag krazykikikaton February 17, 2011   Link

  • 1 Reply Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
    0

    I think that's a very good intepretation actually!

    Flag Plottoberryon May 04, 2012  
• 0
  Song Meaning:Blue Orchid was the name of the website of a group of Russians involved in a worldwide child pornography ring. The line, "You took a white orchid and turned it blue" indicates that the children are pure and these people abused them, leaving them "blue" for the rest of their lives.
  

  Flag gionationon November 09, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• -1
  General Comment:I wonder if this is about Renee Zellweger cause they were dating at some point. This song rocks, I like the grunge it has..

  Flag GrungyBeatleon June 28, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• -1
  Song Meaning:This might be way offf,
  but could this song happen to be about a guy getting blue balls?

  Flag smilesunshine889on June 02, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• -1
  General Comment:this song is just about making lemonade when life gives you lemons.

  Flag geraldt102496on November 27, 2009   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• -1
  Song Meaning:This song is about a fight between him and his wife, a fight in a relationship.
  They are fighting that nothing is ever good enough for each other.
  Thats what the fight is about.

  Flag vashxon November 27, 2009   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• -1
  My Interpretation:Okay, well first of all, the song is called WHITE Orchid, but I think it's about a girl who does evil things, but isn't really evil, just does it for attention. Hense the part where it says /You got a reaction. You got a reaction. Didn't you?/ People do'nt understand her and think she's just being immature / How dare you? How old are you now anyway?/ She manipulates and changes innocent people to do what she wants them to do. /You took a white orchid. You took a white orchid, turned it blue/ The white reresents the innocence of the people before she gets to them, and the blue repreents how they feel afterwards. (Blue as in sad) and the flowers are the people. She wants all the attention but refuses to accept the friends she has /you were given a flower, but i guess that there's just no pleasing you./ She is finally confronted and her TRUE friend tries to help her change /Get behind me! Get behind me now anyway!/

  Flag LexieLuvon June 29, 2009   Link

  • 1 Reply Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
    0

    It is definitely not named white orchid.

    Flag RyaNCAAon June 28, 2010  

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!