In recent years, Jack White has returned to his signature blues rock. His 2024 album, No Name, marked the shift in sound that was eerily reminiscent of his days in the White Stripes. Fans embraced this return, especially since it aligned with the White Stripes’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. White’s newest album, Frozen Charlotte, is set for release on July 10. It has been preceded by three singles, including “G.O.D. And The Broken Ribs.” The track is quite similar musically to his No Name single, “Archbishop Harold Holmes.”
In “G.OD. And The Broken Ribs,” White subverts the story of Genesis in the bible. Instead of “in the beginning,” it’s the apocalypse. The opening line is a greeting to the Garden of Eden. Initially, it sounds like the beginning of the bible, but takes a dark turn real quick.
“Welcome to the Garden of Eden / There’s nobody here but me and you
So, what we gonna be eatin’? / Microphone check, one, two, one, two
Looks like we got a little place to do the / Things we need to do now, and it’ll sound like this”
A Reference To Meg White
“Welcome to the end of the world, yeah / Nobody left but one boy and one girl and one other
But you know we can’t live like a sister and a brother / They’re gonna make you a mother now”
This reimagining places Adam and Eve at the end of the world, rather than the beginning. They’re referred to as the “one boy and one girl,” with the other being God himself. Jack briefly references his former White Stripes bandmate, Meg White, in the lines, “But you know we can’t live like a sister and a brother / They’re gonna make you a mother now.” For a long time, the two pretended to be siblings in the band’s early years. Ultimately, White is referencing modern society’s doomsday tendencies in this track.
The Origin of the Title ‘Frozen Charlotte’
The title Frozen Charlotte refers to Victorian-era dolls. Their name comes from the 19th-century American folk ballad “Fair Charlotte.” The ballad is about a young woman who refused to wear a heavy coat over her dress while on a sleigh ride to a Winter ball. She froze to death and is often referred to as “Frozen Charlotte.” The dolls were often baked into cakes and other party treats. The new album’s cover features a sculpture created by Jack White himself. Additionally, videos have been posted to social media, with Jack pouring blue paint over the sculpture to create the artwork.
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