14. Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise
Arguably the most overlooked Stripes song. It may not be the most elaborate, or the most sonically pleasing but its hard not to find the beauty in arpeggiated piano notes and lyrics like:
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“you try to tell her what to do and all she does is stare at you, her stare is louder than your voice, cause truth doesn’t make a noise”
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15. Catch Hell Blues
Like Instinct Blues, this one is all music and few words. While certainly more thought out, the power still comes from the non-lyrics, tons of slide, great runs, and parts that are so high on the register your dogs will be screaming.
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“If you go looking for hot water, don’t be shocked when ya get burned a little bit”
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16. Stop Breaking Down
For all the Stripes pretend to remain children, they have some filthy god damn lyrics. Taking this one from the king of the delta blues himself, Jack gives it the old White Stripes bounce that makes you dance in your car seat even as the song is miles away from anything dance oriented. Make the kids leave this room on this one, if you can make out the lyrics.
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“The stuff I got is gonna bust your brains out Well, it'll make you lose your mind You saturday night women, you love to Ape and clown You won't do nothin' but tear a good man's reputation down - stop breakin' down!”
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17. Girl You Have No Faith in Medicine
Buried deep on Elephant and overshadowed by song with bigger star power or more poignant topics, the stripes take aim at the entitled and the hypochondriacs with the nastiest riff this side of the 70’s.
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“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”
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18. Same Boy You’ve Always Known
Another track that I feel should have been more well received. Somewhere south of all the radio hits, Same Boy has more pain in jacks voice than is seen in most of the stripes catalogue, which takes some average level lyrics and gives them an amazing breath of fresh air.
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“I hope you know a strong man who can lend you a hand lowering my casket I thought this is just today and soon you'd been returning the coldest blue ocean water cannot stop my heart and mind from burning”
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19. Hand Springs
From the hot pinball rock CD, Jack tells the all to common tale of love lost at the bowling alley. In the aftermath of his loss to a smooth talking interloper with enough pinball’s skills to woo her away, Jack ponders old age and a potential loss of bowling skills. Alas, Lament my friend, lament.
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“he's lookin' at her the way I did when I first met her I could see in his face white flowers and cups of coffee and love letters”
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20. Ball and a Biscuit
You can’t play riffs like these with your grandma around. Coming it at over seven minutes, this one clocks in as the stripes longest song to date and what might be their filthiest. After covering enough delta blues men, Jack takes it on up to Chicago and takes a bath so he can “get clean” with his woman. If it wasn’t for euphemisms, the stripes would give Prince and 2 Live Crew a run for their money.
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“You read it in the newspaper Ask your girlfriends and see if they know that my strength is ten fold girl and I'll let you see if you want to before you go”
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