The White Stripes are primarily known for their blues-rock guitar-driven songs of the 2000s. Their 2001 hit “Seven Nation Army” has become a timeless anthem, chanted in sports stadiums around the world. That was the impressive versatility of The White Stripes. Aside from their raw blues-rock sound, they could pen acoustic tracks such as “We’re Going To Be Friends.” What true Stripes fans will tell you is that their piano-based tracks are among their best work as well. Jack White wasn’t a world-class pianist, but he did pen exceptional piano tracks on Get Behind Me Satan. Here are 3 piano-based songs by The White Stripes that you may not have heard before.
“My Doorbell”
Released as the second single from their Get Behind Me Satan album in 2005, “My Doorbell” is a catchy piano track. Like much of the 2005 release, it was a massive success in the UK. It hit No. 1 on the UK Indie chart and peaked at No. 10 on the UK Singles chart. It makes sense, as the track easily caters to British pop-rock sensibilities. Jack White is a massive Beatles fan, and that can easily be heard on this track. In the US, the track peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.
“Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)”
Following “My Doorbell” on the Get Behind Me Satan album, this track is among Jack White’s best-written. Meg’s drums pair well with White’s sentimental piano approach on this one. It’s an intimate track, with lines that inspire you to take a chance on love rather than letting it go.
“Let’s do it / Let’s get on a plane and just do it / Like the birds and the bees and get to it / Just get out of town and forever be free.”
This song shows a side of Jack that is prevalent on this album. He’s more direct with his messages of love. Jack’s piano approach on this album was a success, expanding the possibilities of his later songwriting in his future solo career. Their performance of “Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)” on The Basement in 2005 is a standout track from a legendary performance by the duo.
“The Denial Twist”
This track was the hardest to record for the album, according to Jack White. The result was well worth it, as it hit No. 1 on the UK Indie chart and peaked at No. 5 on the US Alternative Airplay chart. What’s even more interesting than the track alone is the music video. The set of Late Night with Conan O’Brien was used as the setting for the video. Conan himself made a cameo, as the band had previously spent a week as musical guests on the show following the release of Elephant in 2003. The video features many different shifts in perspective, size, and proportions that create optical illusions. The Late Night set was used as it was, like most television studios, appeared larger on TV than it actually was.
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