“Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes
For starters, the real-life foundation behind “Seven Nation Army” is derived from Jack White’s personal experience growing up in Detroit and encountering an unhealthy amount of gossip therein. So with that in mind the “seven nation army”, as referenced in first verse, is actually a designation assigned to such individuals. And what such a powerful appellation is meant to signify is that collectively, such people are numerous and formidable. But still, the vocalist has decided to fight them back, particularly those who he feels personally betrayed by.
And it isn’t that he wants to engage in gossiping himself. But in the second verse, he does appear prepared to do so if he discovers that an individual as mentioned above has been talking about him behind his back. In that regard, it’s almost as if Jack is saying that if a person knows something personal about him and decides to make it public, then by all means he’ll be close enough to said individual to make such a revelation about them also.
But as inferred more or less throughout, he doesn’t really come as actually being that type of person, i.e. one to get caught in the BS. So the vocalist rather opts to run away from all the drama, even being willing to live a harder life in the name of doing so. But ultimately things prove too hard for him out in “Wichita”, or let’s say away from mainstream society, and he is compelled to “go back home”.
Jack and Meg White
What also should be noted at this point is that part of the real-life gossip that Jack was enduring involved Meg White – the woman he married in 1996 – and by the looks of things their dating history. Anyone who has ever been through those sorts of ordeals would likely agree that when you find somebody you want to settle down with, by all means there would be someone else who wants to throw rain on the parade by bringing up the past.
Takeaway
Well in any event, it’s not specified that such is the intricacies of the case which inspired this song. To the contrary, the vocalist is meant to be depicted as a loner, someone’s whose spirit can no longer tolerate the tittle-tattling ways of the ‘hood.
But all lyrics considered, arguably the conclusive sentiment is meant to be that as much as gossip may frustrate some people, like the vocalist, ultimately it’s something which, in the name of living communally and furthermore urbanly, must be tolerated.
When was “Seven Nation Army” released?
US rock duo The White Stripes recorded “Seven Nation Army” for their fourth studio project “Elephant”. The song, which is the opening track and lead single of the said album, was officially made public in early 2003.
The single was very successful in the United Kingdom, reaching number 7 on the main singles charts there. The track also excelled in other parts of the globe such as peaking inside the top-10 in countries like Italy and Germany. However, it performed moderately in the US, where it could only manage to peak at number 76 on the Hot 100.
Awards and Accolades
In terms of sales, “Seven Nation Army” has been remarkable. Owing to its massive commercial success, it has earned several certifications from various music industries’ trade associations. For instance, in 2019, the single was awarded double Platinum certification by the UK’s BPI, indicating sales in excess of 1.2 million copies.
In addition, the song has earned Platinum certifications in Denmark, Italy, and Belgium. It has also been awarded Gold certification in Germany.
A year after its release, “Seven Nation Army” was shortlisted in two award categories at the Grammys. At the end of the event, it claimed the award for “Best Rock Song”. It lost in the other category, “Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal”, to Warren Zevon and Bruce Springsteen’s hit song “Disorder in the House”. Train’s “Calling All Angels” and Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These” were also selected for said award.
The track has appeared on various lists compiled by several prominent magazines. For instance, on a 2005 list of “100 Greatest Guitar Tracks” the track was placed at number 8. This compilation was put together by British entertainment magazine Q magazine. It was also listed at number 286 on Rolling Stone’s compilation of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2010.
Who wrote “Seven Nation Army”?
The collective’s lead singer Jack White was solely responsible for penning and producing the track. White also took charge of producing the entire “Elephant” album.
Popular Covers
Various covers of this classic have been put out since 2003. Prominent among these covers includes a version released by French artist Ben l’Oncle Soul in 2010. In 2012 another notable cover was released by English singer Marcus Collins. In 2016, Red Hot Chilli Pipers recorded a version of this tune.
The following acts have also come out with various versions of “Seven Nation Army”:
- Vitamin String Quartet (in 2003)
- Vyvienne Long (in 2004)
- C. W. Stoneking (in 2008)
- The Oak Ridge Boys (in 2009)
- Anderson .Paak (in 2013)
- Ramin Djawadi (in 2018)
The White Stripes’ “Elephant” Album
This project was officially made public on April 1 of 2003. It was issued through multiple record labels including Third Man Records and V2 Records.
In addition to its lead single, “Elephant” was accompanied by three more powerful singles.
“Elephant” attained huge commercial success, landing at the top spot on the official albums chart of the United Kingdom. In the US it peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200. It has also chartered inside the top-5 on main album charts in Norway, Australia, and Canada.
This project is regarded as The White Stripes’ most-successful work. And not only that, it is also considered as one of the best-selling projects of the 2000s. It has been awarded double Platinum and Platinum certifications in various regions across the world. For example, it is a 2x Platinum-certified record in the UK and Canada. In addition, it has attained Platinum status in the US.
As for awards, “Elephant” has received several prestigious ones. For instance, in 2004 the album was named “Best Alternative Music Album” at the Grammy Awards. It also picked up a nomination in the “Album of the Year” category.
