Lyrics for Icky Thump as interpreted by The Drizzle

Icky Thump Lyrics
Icky thump
Who'da thunk?
Sittin drunk on a wagon to Mexico?

Ahh well
What a chump
Well my head got a bump
When I hit it on the radio

Redhead senorita
Looking dead
Came and said
"Need a bed?"
En Espanol

I said
"Gimme a drink a water,
I'm gonna 'sing around the collar'
And I don't need a microphone."

Icky Thump
With a lump in my throat
Grabbed my coat
And I was freaking
I was ready to go!

And I swear
Besides the hair
She had: one white eye,
One black (nk) stare
Lookin' up
Lyin' there.

On the stand
Near her hand
Was a candy cane
Black rum, sugar cane
Dry ice (and) something strange

La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la

White Americans, what?
Nothing better to do?
Why don't you kick yourself out
You're an immigrant too?

Who's using who?
What should we do?
Well, you can't be a pimp
And a prostitue too.

Icky thump
Handcuffed to a bunk
Robbed blind
Looked around
And there was nobody else

Left alone
I hit myself with a stone
Went home and learned how
To clean up after myself.

Interaction
Mail to a friend Send Lyrics to a Friend
Share on Facebook

Stumble It
Add to Del.icio.us Add to Del.icio.us




  • 139 Comments
  • Printer Friendly Lyrics
oldest first     Expand All
jwarlick
04-25-2007

Rated 0 
Just heard it on the radio, and shit, this is awesome. It's definitely what the stirpes said it would be, it's hilarious 70's ridiculous dumb-rock - And i say that in the most awesome way possible. Fuck, Each 'chorus' is a solo in friggin' 19/16. This is way different than the last few albums, guys. This is epic.

Log in to reply
Rori the Rocker
04-26-2007

Rated 0 
I just heard this song on the radio as well and... wow. That was cool. Felt as though I had to comment on it... too bad I wasn't the first. Ah well.

Rori

Log in to reply
yoshemitzu
04-26-2007

Rated 0 
Jack expands in this song upon the formula set up in "The Nurse"--unexplained, inexplicable tempo changes, no actual chorus, and this is his most polished attempt at it yet.

Interestingly, Jack gets political in this song, something he hasn't done since "The Big Three Killed My Baby." Although it's not a huge statement, just a common resentment toward Americans. He's said many times in interviews that he feels Americans are the least receptive audiences he finds in his shows--that's why he does so much touring all over the world.

What I wonder, though, is if Icky Thump is supposed to be a character or a description of the style of song this is?

Log in to reply
Oobleshmerfadarkle
04-26-2007

Rated 0 
wow I love htis song haha

Log in to reply
Oobleshmerfadarkle
04-26-2007

Rated 0 
and icky thump is a british expression, exclusive to north britain

Log in to reply
Zerovermars
04-26-2007

Rated 0 
supermegaunbelievely amazing!!!! that's all I'll say
the new record is going to be sick!

Log in to reply
vulgar
04-26-2007

Rated 0 
ahhhh, wow
I don't normally go for prog, but if the rest of the album is going to sound anything like this, damn this'll be one epic album.
i also like jack's more politically-enhanced lyrics.. i think it's obvious this song is outlining the US crisis about their immigration system and illegal aliens, etc.

Log in to reply
artbeat
04-27-2007

Rated 0 
From what I read, “By Ecky Thump” means “Bloody Hell" with the same surprised tone. On the surface, thissong seems to be about a night of drunken debauchery that ends up in Mexico and in a prostitute’s bed. Subsequently, this guy is robbed by her and he tries to covers it up making it look like he was jumped. With this false story, he is an absolute, innocent victim. Saying “Icky Thump” is his way of minimizing it but it seems that he just got icky thumped by karma. The Redhead, White Eye, and Black Rum (Roll??) triangulated him into showing his true colours.

Log in to reply
TheTriforce
04-27-2007

Rated 0 
Jack said this album would be great for fans of their first album, so he might be revisiting the political theme to an extent to show that (since The Big Three Killed My Baby was the last political song they did)

Log in to reply
rong.o.prsn
04-28-2007

Rated 0 
the la la part doesn't fit in the song, the music is pretty good tho

Log in to reply
SGK531
04-28-2007

Rated 0 
Awesome, I'm glad they're moving back to stuff like their first album, and less with the piano, even though I liked that, too. The only complaint I have is what sounds like an electric bagpipe...

Log in to reply
SGK531
04-28-2007

Rated 0 
Awesome, I'm glad they're moving back to stuff like their first album, and less with the piano, even though I liked that, too. The only complaint I have is what sounds like an electric bagpipe...

Log in to reply
wakingupbabies
04-28-2007

Rated 0 
This song is awesome.
(adding to what artbeat said:)
It starts off with a drunk White American who goes to Mexico and meets a Mexican chica.
He then starts demanding things from her as if he's all that.
She is obviously pissed so she drugs him with...
"candy cane
Black rum, sugar cane
Dry ice (and) something strange"

He then passes out.
"La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la"

He then wakes up realized he just been robbed...

"Went home and learned how
To clean up after myself."

this line refers how many immigrants are house cleaners and clean up after "White Americans".
he goes home and realizes that he's an idiot...
and decides he'd better start cleaning up after himself.

the moral of the story is,
you can't use immigrants and then treat them like crap.
because what you don't realize is that the immigrants actually have the upper hand.
so you better treat them nice.
if you ever went to mexico... as an immigrant...
and treated them the same crappy way you treat them here.
you would get beaten.

"White Americans, what?
Nothing better to do?
Why don't you kick yourself out
You're an immigrant too?

Who's using who?
What should we do?
Well, you can't be a pimp
And a prostitue too."

BOooya!!!
another awesome song by Jacky White!!!

Log in to reply
highvoltageglamrock
04-30-2007

Rated 0 
but why is it called icky thump or (Ecky thump)

Log in to reply
il3
04-30-2007

Rated 0 
Love it. Can't wait to hear their new album!

Log in to reply
rhcp2424
05-01-2007

Rated 0 
This is an outstanding incredible song. The thing i LOVE about The White Stripes is they actually play with feeling. There not like all the other crapy mainstream bands. I hope there new album will be as diverse as their last. I enjoy Jakcs different sounds and styles.I also love the political statement.I think its safe tosay that The White Stripes are one of the BEST bands in the world.

Log in to reply
bildsteinium
05-02-2007

Rated 0 
I think that the White Stripes get political beyond just Icky Thump and The Big Three Killed My Baby. Seven Nation Army and to an effect The Union Forever are examples I can think of... how neatly the titles seem to imply that.
However, Truth seems to be the most common theme.

Log in to reply
surchekian
05-03-2007

Rated 0 
Anyone see a connection with 'I Think I Smell A Rat'? One of the posts on that touched on mid- to high-income families and their delinquent offspring as well as an alleged story about Jack's car getting smashed up and confronting the mother and the kid responsible.

Makes me think about Spring Break and the popular connotations carried with it in the US. Like.... 'WHOOO CANCUN' or.... 'WHOOO FLORIDA' or... We assume this external air of superiority and upstanding morality but when we go somewhere that isn't the US all bets are off because we think we own everyone else.

But I definitely agree with the other posts on immigration and mistreatment of foreign nationals in a country that whites simply populated faster than anyone else. Now I'm thinking about that commercial about landfills with the crying Native American. Concerning the theme of truth - a lot of the stuff concerning the American decimation of Native Americans has either been misrepresented or watered down in history books for the sake of teaching... what exactly? Not history.

Log in to reply
teiladnam
05-03-2007

Rated 0 
"Concerning the theme of truth - a lot of the stuff concerning the American decimation of Native Americans has either been misrepresented or watered down in history books for the sake of teaching... what exactly? Not history."

Patriotism.

Log in to reply
blackmyeyes
05-03-2007

Rated 0 
Well alls i gots to say is FUCKING AMAZING
ladies and gents, we have a hit on our hands!

Log in to reply
TheEraser27
05-07-2007

Rated 0 
ecky thump means bloody hell, and thats not a bag pipe dude, hes doing that shit with his guitar, jack whites fucking crazy, this album is gonna be fucking raw dude i cant wait

Log in to reply
TheEraser27
05-07-2007

Rated 0 
ecky thump means bloody hell, and thats not a bag pipe dude, hes doing that shit with his guitar, jack whites fucking crazy, this album is gonna be fucking raw dude i cant wait

Log in to reply
YaffaGirl
05-07-2007

Rated 0 
I think WakingUoBabies Pretty much has it right. But what does the "Black rum, sugar cane
Dry ice (and) something strange" line mean?

Log in to reply
eltrut
05-10-2007

Rated 0 
Holy sheep shit!...Now THAT is music! :)

Log in to reply
notoriouz88
05-13-2007

Rated 0 
yeah this songs fuckin sick wakingupbabies is 100% right. and btw theearaser27 ura fuckin dumbass the "bagpipe" is actually the fuckin keyboard douche. but at least you were right about icky thump meaning bloody hell. and yes jacks amazing.

Log in to reply




  • Add Your Comments
What does this song mean to you?

You must be logged in to post your comments.

Feel free to create an account with us, or log in with your existing account, to start adding your comments to songs.





Popular
Top:   Lyrics, Artists, Albums
Random:   Lyric, Artist, Album

Your Ad Here