Hotel Yorba by The White Stripes

Album: White Blood Cells (2001)

Charted: 26

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The Hotel Yorba is a real hotel. It is located in a run-down section of Detroit on Lafayette Boulevard, near a bus station. Jack White grew up in Detroit and heard rumors about the hotel when he was growing up.
This was the first UK hit for the White Stripes. Even though they were from America, it they were embraced in England first. At the time, Jack and Meg White, who made up the group, were telling the press they were brother and sister. After a while, it was learned that they are not related and were married for a while.
Address of the Hotel Yorba: 4020 Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
Jack White performed early versions of this song with his pre-Stripes band Two Star Tabernacle in 1998 and 1999. That band was comprised of White, Tracee Mae Miller, her husband Dan Miller, and Damian Lang. Tracee is the redhead whom White marries in the video.
The first music video The White Stripes made was for this song. According to Jack White's official site, they tried to film it inside the actual Hotel Yorba without permission, which got him banned from the hotel for life.
According to Jack White, one day he went to visit Meg, who showed him a drum beat that she had made up that morning. Jack wrote a song around the beat, and the song became "Hotel Yorba." >>>
Suggestion credit:
Amanda - Los Angeles, CA
The single version is a live recording done on the sly in room 206 of the Hotel Yorba. The B-side, also recorded in the room, is a cover of Loretta Lynn's "Rated 'X'." Jack White produced Lynn's 2004 album Van Lear Rose.
This song was inspired by Woody Guthrie. Jack White explained to Rolling Stone: "[Woody] wanted his songs to make people happy and make them feel good about themselves. He didn't like songs that make you feel down about yourself, which is an interesting statement. So I think 'Hotel Yorba' is definitely in that category."
Jack and Meg White wrote "Hotel Yorba" in their living room and recorded it for $100.

Comments: 15

Amanda from Los Andeles, CaAccording to Jack White, one day he went to visit Meg White who showed him a drum beat that she had made up that morning. Jack wrote a song around the drum beat, the song became Hotel Yorba.
Sophia from Detroit, MiThe Hotel Yorba is located in a HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD called Hubbard Farms in southwest Detroit, which is NOT by far "one of the worst areas in Detroit." I know this because I (and many other young multicultural young families, professionals, artists, and peace activists) live two blocks away from the Hotel Yorba. I have lived here for twenty years and have raised a family. My street was voted by the Free Press to be one of the 10 best streets in Detroit to live on. The Yorba IS a bone of contention for the neighborhood as it's low rent with no commitment longer than a week attracts transient low socio-economic status people and all the associated ills. A man who lived at the Yorba broke into my house three times in the same month. It is situated between a beautiful historic park, a public middle school, gorgeous historic homes, and a historic bridge, which crosses over into Canada. The neighborhood suffers from crimes committed by people who live at the Yorba and certainly suffers from the curious suburbia that drive in and drive out just for fun and then post sensational impressions of our home for the world to see. The Yorba should be torn down and be left only a romantic musical memory of White Stripes and their fans.
Alessandra from St.louis, Mook, they were married! DUH! not brother & sister. & i love the White Stripes. a bunch!
Kayla from Wilmington, Ncthe white stripes are the bestest.
Dan from New York, NyI saw Jack interviewed on TV. He said he doesn't actually know why he was banned from the Hotel Yorba. Then again, he also changed his name to Quad III for a 3 week tour in England. He's a bonafide loon. But and awesome loon.
Denise from Lake Orion, MiThe Hotel Yorba is definitely a real place. My husband and I went down there for many years with our church for an outreach ministry. The church still to this day provides donations of clothing, food and even spiritual food to the amazing people that live there. The people who stay there pay weekly for a place to live. They were good to us, but when you have a drug problem you make bad choices. I had some real growing experiences there. It made me even more thankful to God for getting me out of drugs and grateful to Him that I was never on the street.
Vanessa from Detroit, MiOkay, first of all i have to say i love this song, well i love The White Strips!! And second, i live and grew up in Detroit. I went to school at Western International right around the corner from Hotel Yorba. That hood is not that bad.... I have family who lives by and on that street, and nothing never happened to them.....Yeah there are gangs and stuff like that, but thats every where... Hotel Yorba is full of poor drug addicts, but they don't bother anyone....all they look for is some change.... I love Detroit, I love Jack and I love The White Stripes!!!!
Anthony from St. Clair Shores, MiYeah, I've been up there. It's a dump. That section of Lafayette is worse than most areas in Detroit.
Ryan from Fullerton, CaDoes it really matter if their related or ex-spouses? What matters is that they make kick ass music.
Tony from St Louis, Moeric from ottowa is right i love this song its so happy
Bizgotti from Toronto, Canadajack white use to hear rumours that the beatles use to stay at the hotel when he was a kid.....those rumours are untrue.
Mike from Cleveland, Ohi once went to a white stripes concert in detroit afterwards i thought it would be cool to stay in hotel yorba. so as i looked for the hotel i somehow went over a bridge taking me to canada. i turned around and had to go back through customs and as they searched my car, i decided that they might know where lafeyette blvd. was.when i asked the angry man who could not understand why i would go to canada and immedtily turn around where this hotel was he told me that he would not ever go to that part of town unless he was packing heat. so i trudged on after another hour i arrived, so my friends and i entered and asked for a room. they asked how long i would be staying i said a night. they told me that is not possible because they are not really a hotel. but a cheap apartment building all of this conversation was going through a bullet proof glass. as we turned away with our heads in down walking past the security guard who was about to light up his joint, a man by the name of D ran up to us. he explained that we could hang out with him for the night in his room. if we payed him 5 dollars apiece. and of course giving him some beer. our group huddled up and decided that this was a good idea. so i went to the car to grab the beer. as the rest followed the man. once they reached the lobby the man behind the bulletproof glass said that we could not go to D's room. D was not happy about this because he was not going get any money or a buzz. so they started cussing at eachother. about this point we all decided that we should probably just leave. and thats what i know about hotel yorba.
Eric from Ottawa, OhThey arent brother and sister they are ex husband and wife
Kristen from Campbellville, CanadaThats a lie, they are brother and sister, my fav song
Dave from Liverpool, EnglandThe song was recorded in one of the rooms at the hotel, which led to them being barred from going there.

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