The Story Behind: "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes

Seven Nation Army is a song by the American blues-rock duo The White Stripes. The song was the lead single from the iconic fourth album Elephant, which was released in 2003. The song got the number one spot on the Modern Rock Tracks list for three consecutive weeks and was the third best selling rock song of the decade. Later it also won the Grammy Award for the Best Rock Song.

Background/Lyrics

The song's title came from Jack White's childhood, when he though that the Salvation Army (Protestant Christian movement and an international charitable organization) he visited was actually called Seven Nation Army.

The lyrics in the song itself talk about how the duo deals with increasing popularity and the negative things that come with being in popular rock band. It tells a storyline of a protagonist that comes into his town where all of his aquaintances are talking behind his back and gossiping about him. White stated: "He feels so bad he has to leave town, but you get so lonely you come back. The song's about gossip. It's about me, Meg and the people we're dating."

Writing/Recording Process 

The riff that White came up with, was at first reserved in case he gets an offer to do a James Bond theme song. Later he decided that this offer just isn't going to happen so he decided to use the riff in the upcoming album that he was recording with Meg White. On a related note, Jack actually ended up doing a James Bond theme song with Alicia Keys in 2008 for the film Quantum of Solace with the song »Another Way to Die«.    

White later decided to make the riff into a bass line, using an effect pedal that sets all the notes to be played one octave lower than a guitar (the same as a bass guitar), with his semi acoustic Kay Hollowbody guitar from the 1950's. Jack also stated that he wanted to write this song without having a chorus but only a bridge, solo and verses. The song was recorded, mixed and mastered at Toe Rag Studios in London without the help of computers, which is traditional for White, because he claims that technology destroys his creative and working process.

Music Video

The music video was directed by Alex and Martin, a music directing duo whom also worked with U2. The video gives you an impression that the whole video is filmed as a continuous shot through a kaleidoscopic tunnel. The whole video is filmed only in black, white and red colours, with triangles in between Jack and Meg play the song. The video later builds up with an elephant and marching skeletons (refrencing the name of the album), and later with the speed and intensity the triangles move towards the viewer.