The one song Jack White thought defined rock and roll: “One man against the world”
We each have a moment in our childhood where art reveals itself as something more than pretty colours, fancy brushstrokes or sparkling images. Jack White was no different. When he was around 18 years old, he discovered a couple of legendary singers who would change the trajectory of his musical interests and his career, too. Their songs helped him hone his craft and made him the revered artist he is today.
The musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer has long been interested in the substance behind songs. He even wrote a poem as a teenager called ‘Image Can Kill Love’, in which he described himself as “anti things that had no meaning behind them, things that were done simply because they looked or sounded cool.”
White has remained true to this worldview where authenticity is important to him, especially when he released his latest solo album, No Name, earlier this year as a total surprise and without any marketing preamble. The album was realised as physical-only copies before it became available more widely online, pushing his analogue ethos to new heights. He has also been playing tiny shows around the globe with little promotion beforehand—taking music back to its heart.
In 2012, White did come under fire for speaking ill of fellow contemporary artists who he, at the time, seemed to disparage for being too concerned with being ‘cool’. White spoke to Esquire and said, “I don’t think [Lady Gaga] lives it because it’s all artifice,“ he said. “It’s all image with no meaning behind it. You can’t sink your teeth into it. It’s a soundbite. It’s very of this age, because that’s what people want“.
But when music comes from the soul, it proves to be timeless. This is why the former White Stripes member, who has influenced an entire generation with albums such as Elephant, was drawn to the blues. It has “soul and honesty” behind the sound, and it is utterly vital. How many fads can you say that about?
When asked about discovering the blues as a teenager, White told Rolling Stone in 2013 that certain artists had a profound effect on him. “I didn’t get into it deep until around eighteen. I dabbled in things like Howlin’ Wolf, Cream and Led Zeppelin, but when I heard Son House and Robert Johnson, it blew my mind,“ he said. “It was something I’d been missing my whole life. That music made me discard everything else and just get down to the soul and honesty of the blues.”
These old names have transcended the ages. Their spirit of finding solace in hardship through the conduit of music is profoundly moving, no matter what generation you hail from. In fact, White barely cared whether it was old when he first heard it. Speaking during the 2008 documentary It Might Get Loud said, while listening to ‘Grinnin’ In Your Face’, he proclaimed, “This [song] spoke to me in a thousand different ways”.
“I didn’t know that you could do that, just singing and clapping. It meant everything. It meant everything about rock ‘n’ roll, everything about expression, creativity in art. One man against the world, in one song. It didn’t matter that he was clapping off-time, it didn’t matter there was no instruments being played. All that mattered was the attitude. It became my favourite song the first time I heard it, and it still is,” he added. He’s been channelling that heartfelt simplicity ever since.
White’s authentic sound and trailblazing nature has found fans in many and continues to inspire artists and fans alike. References to Son House were peppered across The White Stripes’ earlier albums, with The White Stripes’ debut album being dedicated to the late bluesman. The duo had covered his song ‘Death Letter’ on another album, De Stijl, and White also contributed to the liner notes for the 2003 compilation, The Very Best of Son House. He has proved not just an inspiration, but a constant companion for the trilby wearing No Name star.
