Talk:Icky Thump (song)

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[edit] Music Video

The music video is mentioned on the main page, but should a separate section be made for it? Jig 17:00, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

Hmmm... I believe so. It would make sense, and other pages on songs have separate sections for music videos, so yes.--The Masses 09:42, 25 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] First paragraph- correct encyclopedia style?

"Icky Thump" is a song written and recorded by The White Stripes. It is the first single released from their sixth album of the same name.[1] Though grounded, to a greater degree than the Get Behind Me Satan singles, in straightforward garage rock, the song differed radically from previous White Stripes singles in its unusual construction: angular tempo-changes, stream-of-conscious lyrics, and chaotic improvised snake-charming solos, played on a dramatically outdated Univox synthesizer."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this paragraph unnessecarily descriptive?

[edit] 12" Single

Should there be a mention of the very limited 12" single? I think there's around ~80 copies that were sold at Icky Thump Records.

[edit] Primitive

I think there has been some vandalism. It says that Americans are primitive so I'm going to takie it off. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 62.30.122.135 (talk) 12:34, August 23, 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Immigration

It seems that, by inference, this song is pro-illegal immigration. Is that relevant to this article? I would argue that it is considering the fact that Jack White has previously avoided engaging in political commentary...

Under Wikipedia policies, it's only relevant if you can find a reliable source which draws that inference. Reliable source would be something like Rolling Stone, NME, not a blog. Notinasnaid 09:27, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

  • Having read the lyrics, I'd say it's easy to conclude the song is pro-immigration, but songwriters may also put opinions into the voices of characters. Few people, for example, think Pete Townsend think Nick Cave actually murders people, or that David Bowie went in to space. This is a dangerous area, and the reason Wikipedia requires some reliable source to make connections, rather than editors to have an insight. If a reliable source is found, for things like this it is better to report this as what a source says rather than a simple fact (e.g. -- --, writing in the -- -- (citation) said that the song was --; or --, in an interview in --, said that the song was --). Hope this helps, Notinasnaid 10:16, 2 May 2007 (UTC)
I'm sure some "reliable source" will mention it once the album/single is released. The music video also pretty clearly shows the immigration thing with the "Great Wall of Mexico" at the end etc. If we do find sources then it makes sense to include it. Someone's already put it in the main article:
"Jack White does not write about the politics, as a rule. However, "The Big Three Killed My Baby", could be considered as a political song because the lyrics attack the automotive industry's lack of vision and the fall of the major labor unions of the 1960s to 1980s. Moreover, in an altered version of the song played on stage, Jack sings, "and Bush's hands are turning red… and I found out your baby is dead." Also, in the song "Icky Thump", he sings "White American / What? Nothing better to do? / Why don't you kick yourselves out? / You're an immigrant, too".
Jellypuzzle | Talk 07:14, 25 May 2007 (UTC)
I believe you are misreading the lyrics.... jack white is critising the "white americans" who make a big deal to keep immigrants out.... ie, over the mexican border but also immigrants who come illegally. He maks this point by pointing out that the majority of americans are immigrants themselves... loads of people came to america to escape ww1, ww2, holocaust, soviet union, easetern europe etc. Once again, jack is not demostrating pro-immigration but anti-fundamentalists who refuse to allow anyone into america... their video just ridicules them by showing the extreame lengths they would go to - blockading themselves. Jack uasally keeps out of writing political songs and i recon it'll be another once off but we'll have to listen to album before judging
  • Certainly the song takes a stand on immigration, and the article as I found it a few minutes ago did not say anything about it. Instead it said: "The song is the story of an American who spends the night in México, gets himself helplessly drunk, and sleeps with a hooker who then robs him before he wakes up." This is obviously only a very superficial interpretation of the song. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.194.20.253 (talk) 18:43, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

That certainly is true, but unless you can find a reliable source that interprets it, we can't put it on wikipedia. Thats how it works. DurinsBane87 19:04, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

  • Rolling Stone mentions that its about immigration[1] :

" 'Icky Thump' has a topic: immigration! The song isn't easy to parse, but for once that's a plus - it's genuinely complex, condensing hard moral conundrums into a narrative whose comic side is captured by the south-of-the-border video and whose intrusive guitar leaves conflict hanging rather than providing comfortable resolution."

I have not yet found a source that interprets the song as being pro-immigration, but it should be obvious from the lyrics (Well, Americans:/What, nothin' better to do?/Why don't you kick yourself out?/You're an immigrant too.) and the imagery (The Great Wall of Mexico) that it is.

Can we at least agree that the article should include the fact the the song has a message about immigration?

To an extent, yes, but the previous interpretaion was far to in detail to be included without sourcing. The rolling Stone's source should go a good distance, though. DurinsBane87 03:08, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Vandalism

The album was ranked #17 on their list of greatest albums of 2007, Not#18. I went to the link and it is 17. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.238.248.173 (talk) 15:13, 11 February 2008 (UTC)