Why I Friggin love Jack White
Jack White: Love Interruption from Blunderbuss (2012)
I've been a fan of Jack White ever since he formed the White Stripes with his former wife Meg White in the legendary early 200s alternative garage band duo.
Jack White is one of the most talented songwriters, guitarists, and multi-instrumentalists. His career has been about tireless creativity, innovation and collaboration. Apart from his success with the White Stripes, he founded the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather, who were equally fantastic rock bands.
Like most excellent musicians, White is also a great collaborator; he has worked with many other artists, including Loretta Lynn, Bob Dylan, and Alicia Keys.
White's love of music, particularly vinyl records, led him to establish his own record company. Third Man Records releases White's music and new artists and re-releases classic artists on vinyl.
Apart from being one of the most incredible people on the planet, his live performances are phenomenal. White has an extensive collection of guitars and other instruments and loves collecting vintage items that usually connect to famous early blues artists. He is an advocate for analogue technology and recording techniques.
Jack White has an encyclopedic knowledge of blues music and the American songbook; he also can identify any Beatles song within the first few seconds of listening.
He's one of my all-time favourite artists and one of the people I most wish to see live in concert as he's such an excellent guitar player and performer who is constantly innovating.
While I always enjoy Jack White's music, the album that made me fall hopelessly in love with him as a solo artist was his first solo effort, Blunderbuss (2012).
For me, the song Love Interruption is the perfect blues love song. It shows off Jack White's old blues-soaked soul, his clever and witty lyrical talents, and showcases the best of his abilities.
Love Interruption has been a solid part of my playlist for the last decade, and it never gets old. The concept that love is about a deep pseudo masochistic painful addiction and suffering is a concept expressed by many great poets over the centuries.
To hear Jack White exorcize, even relishing his heartbreak and suffering through song, is nothing but pure blues. It's good for the soul.
Here's a poem inspired by Jack White's song Three Women from his 2014 album Lazaretto.
I took the concept of White's song talking about women and turned it upside down to write about three men.
Three Men
(inspired by Jack White)
I have three men tall, dark and handsome
they come to me when I please and always come back for more
I'm the kind of gal who has an appetite
It's not satisfying, so it's either three of the whorehouse for me.
I've got to have a man blow away these blues and quench this dry throat.
My tall man's flexible and lean
he bends himself to please me
he knows how to pluck and play and lick
and well, there's no need to mention
about the length of his prick
My dark Italian stallion
well, he's all poetry and passion
he knows when to talk and when to howl
speaks many tongues, knows endless tricks
my playboy is a ball
and cunnilinguses with the best
My handsome one's got ripping muscles
he blushes when he's at his best
a little shyer than the rest
he keeps his clothes on until I'm ready
I rip them off
but he always leaves his socks
You might say, what right do I have?
No reason to have three lovers
but whatever I do is doing no harm
must be doing something right cos
they come to visit every night.
My three men are keeping me satisfied
more satisfied than my tiny, pale, lard arse
ex-husband ever did.
So excuse me if I offend
I'll be over here making up for the lost time
I got an itch to scratch
When I call on my dream men to
Get me over this hump
I got my mojo back after a slump
Girl power and all that
Lordy, Lordy, Lordy lord ah yeah.
I’ve put together a playlist over on Spotify of some of my favourite Jack White songs, together with some of those mentioned in this post. Click on it to have a little listen.