Seven Nation Army Lyrics - The White Stripes

Song Facts:

• Genre: Rock


• Featured Artists: None


• Lyricists: Jack White


• Composers: Jack White


• Soundtrack: Featured in the soundtrack of "Beautiful Game."

Annotations and Meaning:

Defined the rock anthem by its famous guitar riff and the theme of "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes: determined self-reliance and defiance. "The title of the song, 'Seven Nation Army,' is actually a term that Jack White derived from his childhood when he mispronounced 'Salvation Army,' but it's in the form of the song that has got something to do with an overtaking force.

Both are quotations: "I'm gonna fight 'em off; a seven nation army couldn't hold me back." They both set the pace for determination and immense strength that has to be picked up by the narrator to overcome the obstacles in his way. Thus, this is not a continuous battle with outer enemies but inner struggles, and it can be suggested by the continuing "back and forth through my mind behind a cigarette.

"In the last verse, the protagonist advises 'I'd never want to be / burdened with the stories and the opinions of other people'. Such kind of utterance can smell of alienation and a clear assertion by the subject to remain untouched by the impositions of judgment by the others in society.

The most striking of all, a line is in it: "And the feeling coming from my bones says, 'Find a home,'" strongly inclined toward the emphasis on steadiness or belongingness. A strong contrast with an otherwise rather rebellious tenor of the piece. It shows vulnerability, with the human need for security and peace through the internal dialogue.

The stanza beginning with "I'm going to Wichita, far from this opera for evermore" seems to suggest moving on or escaping to a place where he feels like he is starting over, away from the whirl of life at this place. The use of "opera" metaphorically refers to dramatic and overwhelming life events.