The Big Three Killed My Baby by The White Stripes

Album: The White Stripes (1999)

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This song is about automaker Preston Tucker, who like Jack and Meg White, is from Detroit. The line, "the motors runnin' on Tuckers' blood" is a reference to him. Tucker had his own idea for the auto industry, but his company "Tucker" was run out of business by the auto industry's "big three" (General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford). A movie named Tucker was made about him starring Jeff Bridges. >>>
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Bert - Pueblo, NM
Jack White is the rare Detroiter who doesn't like cars. "I think they are the worst money pits and killing machines of all time," he told The Village Voice. That view is reflected in this song.
"The Big Three Killed My Baby" is a track from the first White Stripes album, released on a Detroit-based indie label called Sympathy For The Record Industry. It's very lo-fi, with only Jack and Meg playing on most of the songs, including this one. They found an audience (first in the UK) that appreciated their minimalist, organic sound, which stood in sharp contrast to the slick hit music that dominated radio. Over the next few years their sound got more refined and they grew their fanbase considerably.
Jack White used to wear automotive jewelry, including rings made of hose clamps and a necklace made from an auto-parts ID tag that said "Property of Ford Motor Company." He wears it on the cover of their third album, White Blood Cells.

Comments: 6

Daniel from Tucsone, AzI always assumed it was about drug addiction the big 3 (crack, heroin, meth) kill your common sense and burn you broke "another 100 dollars down the drain again"
Erik from Los Angeles, CaOk man, I don't know how you can even consider saying that Hyundai makes the best cars available in the U.S.A. They make basically some of the worst cars worldwide.

But, I'm not here to start a flame war - I'm here to support the fact that the Tucker '48 is one of the sweetest and best made cars ever, and is definitely my favorite car of all time. Too bad there's only fifty of 'em!
Darrell from EugeneMurph, the "Big Three" used to be General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. It is now Hyundai/Kia, Toyota/Scion/Lexus and Honda. What a shame, but at least I have heard that Hyundai makes the best cars that are available in the USA. Although I have only heard this song four or five times at most, I have no doubt that it is about Tucker motors. I am an "armchair automotive historian".
Rachael from Scranton, PaWhen I first saw the title, I thought of the KKK...but it's clearly not.
Bert from Pueblo, NmIt's about Preston Tucker. he was a automaker who's innovative designs started Tucker Motors, but then were run out of business by the big three. Hence the line "The motor's runnin' on Tucker's blood"
Murph from Peoria, IlThe Big Three are the two..... Oh, This song must be about heroin addiction. :-)

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