The White Stripes : Elephant

Garage Rock / USA
(2003 - XL Recordings)
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Lyrics

1. SEVEN NATION ARMY

i'm gonna fight 'em off
a seven nation army couldn't hold me back
they're gonna rip it off
taking their time right behind my back
and i'm talking to myself at night because I can't forget
back and forth through my mind behind a cigarette
and the message coming from my eyes says leave it alone

don't want to hear about it
every single one's got a story to tell
everyone knows about it
from the queen of england to the hounds of hell
and if i catch you comin' back my way
i'm gonna sell it to you
and that ain't what you want to hear
but that's what i'll do
and the feeling coming from my bones says mind your own

i'm going to wichita
far from this opera forever more
i'm gonna work the straw
make the sweat drip out of every pore
and i'm bleedin' and i'm bleedin'
and i'm bleedin' right before the lord
all the words are gonna bleed from me
and i will sing no more
and the stains coming from my blood tell me go back home

2. BLACK MATH

Don't you think that I'm bound to react now?
Well my fingers definitely turning to black now
Yeah maybe I'll put my love on ice
And teach myself, maybe that'll be nice yeah

My books are sitting at the top of the stack now
Well the longer words are really breaking my back now
Yeah maybe I'll learn to understand
Drawing a square with a pencil in hand yeah

Mathematically turning the page
Unequivocally showing my age
I'm practically center stage
Undeniably earning your wage
Well maybe I'll put my love on ice
Teach myself, maybe that'll be nice yeah

Listen master can you answer a question
Is it the fingers, or the brains
that you're teaching the lesson?
Oh I cant tell you how proud Iam
Im writing down things that I dont understand
Well maybe I'll put my love on ice
And teach myself, maybe that'll be nice yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah


3. THERE'S NO HOME FOR YOU HERE

There's no home for you here girl, go away
There's no home for you here

There's no home for you here girl, go away
There's no home for you here

I'd like to think that all of this constant interaction
Is just the kind of make you drive yourself away
Each simple gesture done by me is counteracted
And leaves me standing here with nothing else to say

Completely baffled by a backward indication
That an inspired word will come across your tongue
Hands moving upward to propel the situation
Have simply halted
Now the conversation's done

There's no home for you here girl, go away
There's no home for you here

There's no home for you here girl, go away
There's no home for you here

I'm only waiting for the proper time to tell you
That it's impossible to get along with you
It's hard to look you in the face when we are talking
So it helps to have a mirror in the room

I've not been really looking forward to the performance
But there's my cue and there's a question on your face
Fortunately I have come across an answer
Which is go away
And do not leave a trace

There's no home for you here girl, go away
There's no home for you here

There's no home for you here girl, go away
There's no home for you here

Waking up for breakfast
Burning matches
Talking quietly
Breaking baubles
Throwing garbage
Drinking soda
Looking happy
Taking pictures
So completely stupid
Just go away

There's no home for you here girl, go away
There's no home for you here...


4. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF

I just don't know what to do with myself
I don't know what to do with myself
planning everything for two
doing everything with you
and now that we're through
I just don't know what to do

I just don't know what to do with myself
I don't know what to do with myself
movies only make me sad
parties make me feel as bad
cause I'm not with you
I just don't know what to do

like a summer rose
needs the sun and rain
I need your sweet love
to beat love away

well I don't know what to do with myself
just don't know what to do with myself
planning everything for two
doing everything with you
and now that we're through
I just don't know what to do

like a summer rose
needs the sun and rain
I need your sweet love
to beat love away

I just don't know what to do with myself
just don't know what to do with myself
just don't know what to do with myself
I don't know what to do with myself


5. IN THE COLD, COLD NIGHT

I saw you standing in the corner
On the edge of a burning light
I saw you standing in the corner
Come to me again in the cold, cold night
In the cold, cold night

You make me feel a little older
Like a full grown woman might
But when you're gone I grow colder
Come to me again in The cold, cold, night
In The cold, cold, night

I hear you walking by my front door
I hear the creaking of the kitchen floor
I don't care what other people say
I'm goin' to love you, anyway
Come to me again in the cold, cold night
In the cold, cold night

I can't stand it any longer
I need the fuel to make my fire bright
So don't fight it any longer
Come to me again in the cold, cold night
In the cold, cold night

And I know that you feel it too
When my skin turns into glue
You will know that it's warm inside
And you'll come run to me, in the cold, cold night
In the cold, cold night
In the cold, cold night
In the cold, cold night


6. I WANT TO BE WITH THE BOY THAT WARMS YOUR MOTHER'S HEART

I wanna to be the boy that warms your mother's heart
I'm so scared to take you away
I tried to win her over right from the start
But something always got in the way
We've been sitting in your backyard for hours
But she won't even come out and say hi
While my mother baked a little cake for you
And even dreaded when you said goodbye
What kind of cartwheels do I have to pull?
What kind of joke should I lay on her now?
I'm inclined to go finish high school
Just to make her notice that I'm around

Well nothing I come up with seems to work
It feels like everything I say is a lie
And never have a felt like such a jerk
I'm afraid to even open my eyes
Because I really don't want her to judge me
I want to her really know who I am
And then, and only then she will love me
Well at least that was the plan

If ever a boy needed a holiday
If ever a girl needed someone to hold
I just hope I don't act the same way
By the time that I get that old

What kind of cartwheels do I have to pull?
What kind of joke should I lay on her now?
I'm inclined to go finish high school
Just to make her notice that I'm around

I never said I was the heir to a fortune
I never claimed to have any looks
But these kind of things must be important
Because somebody ripped out my page
In your telephone book

I want to warm her heart


7. YOU'VE GOT HER IN YOUR POCKET

You've got her in your pocket
And there's no way out now
Put it in the safe and lock it
'cause it's at home sweet home

Nobody ever told you that it was the wrong way
To trick a woman, make her feel she did it her way
And you'll be there if she ever feels blue
And you'll be there when she finds someone new
What to do
Well you know

You keep her in your pocket
Where there's no way out now
Put it in a safe a lock it
'cause it's home sweet home

The smile on your face made her think she had the right one
Then she thought she was sure
By the way you two could have fun
But now she might leave
Like she's threatened before
Grab hold of her fast
Before her feet leave the floor
And she's out the door
'cause you want

To keep you in my pocket
Where there's no way out now
Put it in a safe a lock it
'cause it's home sweet home

And in your own mind
You know you're lucky just to know her
And in the beginning all you wanted was to show her
But now you're scared
You think she's running away
You search in your hand for something clever to say
Don't go away
'cause I want

To keep you in my pocket
Where there's no way out
Put it in a safe a lock it
'cause it's home sweet home
Home sweet home


8. BALL AND BISCUIT

It's quite possible that I'm your third man girl
But it's a fact that I'm the seventh son
It's quite possible that I'm your third man girl
But it's a fact that I'm the seventh son
And right now you could care less about me
But soon enough you will care, by the time I'm done

Let's have a ball and a biscuit sugar
And take our sweet little time about it
Let's have a ball girl
And take our sweet little time about it
Tell everybody in the place to just get out
And we'll get clean together
And I'll find me soapbox where I can shout it
Yeah

Read it in the newspaper
Ask your girlfriends and see if they know
Read it in the newspaper
Ask your girlfriends see if they know
That my strength is ten fold girl
I'll let you see if you want to before you go

Let's have a ball and a biscuit sugar
And take our sweet little time about it
Let's have a ball
And take our sweet little time about it
Tell everybody in the place to just get out
We'll get clean together
And I'll find me soapbox where I can shout it
Yeah I can think of one or two things to say about it
Ah listen

Yeah it's quite possible that I'm your third man
But it's a fact that I'm the seventh son
It was the other two which made me your third
But it was my mother who made me the seventh son
Right now you could care less about me
But soon enough you will care by the time I'm done

Just wait

Stick around

You'll figure it out


9. THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON

We started living in an old house
My ma gave birth and we were checking it out
It was a baby boy
So we bought him a toy
It was a ray gun
And it was 1981

We named him "Baby"
He had a toothache
He started crying
It sounded like an earthquake
It didn't last long
Because I stopped it
I grabbed a rag doll
And stuck some little pins in it

Now we're a family
And we're alright now
We got money and a little place
To fight now
We don't know you
And we don't owe you
But if you see us around
I got something else to show you

Now it's easy when you don't know better
You think it's sleazy?
Then put it in a short letter
We keep warm
But there's just something wrong with ya
Just feel like you're the hardest button to button

I had opinions
That didnt matter
I had a brain
That felt like pancake batter

I got a backyard
With nothing in it
Except a stick
I dont get a box of something in it

The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh oh
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh oh
The hardest button to button

The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
The hardest button to button
Uh oh


10. LITTLE ACORNS

Take all your problems
And rip 'em apart
oh oh uh uh oh

Carry them off
In a shopping cart
oh oh uh uh oh
Another thing
You should've known from the start
oh uh uh uh uh oh
The problems in hand
Are lighter than at heart
oh uh uh uh oh oh

Be like the squirrel, girl
Be like the squirrel
oh oh uh uh oh
Give it a whirl, girl
Be like the squirrel
oh oh uh uh oh

And another thing
You have to know in this world
oh oh uh uh oh
Cut up your hair
Straighten your curls

Well, your problems
Hide in your curls

Oh oh uh uh oh
Oh oh oh oh


11. HYPNOTIZE

I want to hypnotize you baby
On the telephone
So many times I called your house
Just to hear the tone
And though I knew you weren't home
I didn't mind so much 'cause I'm so alone
I want to hypnotize you baby
On the telephone

I want to spin my little watch
Right before your eyes
You're the kind of girl a guy like me
Could hypnotize
And if this comes as a surprise
Just think of all those guys
Who would tell you lies
I want to spin my little watch
Right before your eyes

I want to hold your little hand
If I can be so bold
And be your right hand man
'til your hands get old
And then when all the feeling's gone
Just decide if you want to keep holding on
I want to hold your little hand

If I can be so bold
If I can be so bold
If I can be so bold


12. THE AIR NEAR MY FINGERS

Life is so boring
It's really got me snoring
I'm wearing out the flooring
In a cheap motel
But I don't have to work
And I might be sinning
But I never have to listen to
The rings of school bells

Don't you remember?
You told me in December
That a boy is not a man
Until he makes a stand
Will, I'm not a genius
But maybe you'll remember this
I never said I wanted to be a man

Yeah I get nervous when she comes around
when she comes around
when she comes around
I get nervous when she comes around
when she comes around
when she comes around
Mm I get nervous when she comes around
when she comes around
when she comes around
I get nervous when she comes around
when she comes around
when she comes around

Hey!

My mom is so caring
She really got me staring
At all the crazy little things
She does for sure
And I can't seem to think of
Another kind of love
That a boy could ever get
From anyone but her

I get nervous when she comes around
when she comes around
when she comes around
I get nervous when she comes around
when she comes around
when she comes around
Yeah I get nervous when she comes around
when she comes around
when she comes around
I get nervous when she comes around
when she comes around
when she comes around

Alright!


13. GIRL, YOU HAVE NO FAITH IN MEDICINE

Girl, you have no faith in medicine
Oh girl you have no faith in medicine
Acetaminophen
You see the medicine
Oh girl

Is there a way to find the cure for this
Implanted in a pill?
Just the name upon the bottle
That determines if it will?

Is the problem you're allergic
To a well familiar name?
Do you have a problem with this one
If the results are the same?

Acetaminophen
You see the medicine
oh girl, you have no faith in medicine
oh girl, you have no faith in medicine
Acetaminophen
You see the medicine
oh girl

oh girl, you have no faith in medicine
Acetaminophen
You see the medicine
oh girl

Well strip the bark right off a tree
And just hand it this way
Don't even need a drink of water
To make the headache go away
Give me sugar pill
And watch me just rattle
Down the street

Acetaminophen
You see the medicine
oh girl, you have no faith in medicine
oh girl, you have no faith in medicine
oh girl
oh girl
oh girl
oh girl


14. WELL IT'S TRUE THAT WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Well it's true that we love one another
I love Jack White like a little brother
Well Holly I love you too but there's
Just so much that I don't know about you

Jack give me some money to pay my bills
All the dough I give you Holly
You been using on pain pills
Jack will you call me if you're able?
I got your phone number written
In the back of my bible
Jack I think your pulling my leg
And I think maybe I better ask Meg
Meg do you think Jack really loves me?
You know, I don't care because
Jack really bugs me
Why don't you ask him now?
Well I would but Meg
I really just don't know how
Just say 'Jack , do you adore me?'
Well I would Holly but love really bores me
Then i guess we should just be friends
I'm just kidding Holly
You know that I'll love you 'til the end

Well it's true that we love one another
I love Jack White like a little brother
Well Holly I love you too but there's
Just so much that I don't know about you

Holly give me some of your English lovin'
If I did that Jack I'd have one in the oven
Why don't you go off and love yourself
If I did that Holly there won't be anything
Left for anybody else
Jack it's too bad about the way you look
You know I gave that horse a carrot
So he'd break your foot
Will the two of you cut it out
And tell 'em what it's really all about

Well it's true that we love one another
I love Jack White like a little brother
Well Holly I love you too but there's
Just so much that I don't know about you

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