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March 28, 2007

The White Stripes Offer Up A Puzzle

Looking for a little insight into Icky Thump's tracklist? This ougtha help you not at all. Jack and Meg have posted some typically cryptic elaboration on each track title at whitestripes.com/puzzle. Read on for a headache:

1. "Icky Thump" - Well, you can't be a pimp and a prostitute too.

2. "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)" - In some respects I suspect you've got a respectable side.

3. "300 M.P.H Torrential Outpour Blues" - Sooner or later the ground's gonna be holding all of my ashes too.

4. "Conquest" - The hunted became the huntress, the hunter became the prey.

5. "Bone Broken" - They got a white pony in a stable and ride him when the doggie isn't able.

6. "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" - The silver birches pierce through an icy fog which covers the ground most daily.

7. "St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)" - I'm looking upwards, who is here to greet me?

8. "Little Cream Soda" - Well, every highway that I go down seems to be longer than the last one that I knew about, oh well.

9. "Rag And Bone" - Bring out your junk and we'll give it a home.

10. "I'm Slowly Turning Into You" - I dig your little laugh and I'm loving your quick wit.

11. "A Martyr For My Love For You" - Maybe these ruby shoes are a little cumbersome for you.

12. "Catch Hell Blues" - If you're looking for hot water, don't be shocked when you get burned a little bit.

13. "Effect And Cause" - First you cause a train wreck, then you put me in traction?

If that's not puzzling enough, check the crossword they added for visual accompaniment.

Probably not even worth asking but ... anybody got a guess? (Click to enlarge.) No official word on release date yet, but The White Stripes do have five shows scheduled -- all festivals, four in Europe. Check 'em:

06/01 - Nurburgring, Germany (Rock Am Ring Festival)
06/02 - Nurnberg, German (Rock Am Ring Festival)
06/17 - London, UK (O2 Festival)
06/15 - Leeds, UK (02 Festival)
06/17 - Manchester, TN (Bonnaroo)

Posted at 9:26 AM in
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10 Comments

sample lyrics? seems too simple. who knows.

Posted by: joe at 03/28/07 10:18 AM | Reply
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1. Icky Thump
2. You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)
3. 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
4. Conquest
5. Bone Broke
6. Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
7. St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)
8. Little Cream Soda
9. Rag And Bone
10. I'm Slowly Turning Into You
11. A Martyr For My Love For You
12. Catch Hell Blues
13. Effect And Cause

Here is the live performance of prickly thorn but sweetly worn from the Masonic temple show last year.

http://home.comcast.net/~mike_ss/the_white_stripes-prickly_thorn_but_sweetly_worn.mp3

sorry, I don't know how to make that a link.

Posted by: Jack at 03/28/07 10:38 AM | Reply
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Didn't mean to repost the tracks... really I have used a computer before!

Posted by: Jack at 03/28/07 10:42 AM | Reply
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holy shit that sounded awesome. thanks for posting it jack.

Posted by: george at 03/28/07 11:01 AM | Reply
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Each line in the puzzle is a lyric from the corresponding song. Retards.

Posted by: Mrs. Featherbottom at 03/28/07 2:05 PM | Reply
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i'm confused. how do you know that's prickly thorn? when was that show?

Posted by: cait at 03/28/07 4:46 PM | Reply
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that new stripes track is a MOTHERFUCKER

Posted by: mr. loserington at 03/28/07 10:14 PM | Reply
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Maybe they're doing something like Yo La Tengo did years ago, on the back of the Electr-o-Pura CD cover. They took quotes from some weird book or brochure and used their favorites after each song title. If you weren't in on the joke, you'd have to think, "These are the most pretentious people I've ever seen."

These Stripes blurbs read like the exact same shit.

Posted by: Dylan at 04/01/07 2:03 AM | Reply
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Anyone care to reupload that track (prickly thorn) again. Pleeeaaase

Posted by: Ethan at 04/25/07 3:51 PM | Reply
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Cause and Effect?
It's about teleological fallacy.

Posted by: chou en ginsbourg at 06/02/07 8:06 AM | Reply
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