The White Stripes - Icky Thump Album Lyrics

Iiiiiiiieeeeeee
Icky thump
Who'da thunk?
Sittin' drunk on a wagon to Mexico.

Ah well,
What a chump
Well my head got a bump
When I hit it on the radio.

Redhead señorita
Looking dead
Came and said
"need a bed?"
En Español.

I said
"gimme a drink a water,
I'm gonna 'sing around the collar'
And I don't need a microphone."

[guitar solo]
[keyboard solo]

Icky thump
with a lump in my throat
Grabbed my coat
And I was freaking
I was ready to go!

And I swear
Besides the hair
She had one white eye,
One black(nk) stare
Lookin' up
Lyin' there.

On the stand
near her hand
Was a candy cane
Black rum, sugar cane,
Dry ice (and) something strange.

La la, la la la la la la la la la laaa laaa laaa

[keyboard solo]

White Americans, what?
Nothing better to do?
Why don't you kick yourself out?
You're an immigrant too?

Who's usin' who?
What should we do?
Well you can't be a pimp
And a prostitute too

Icky thump, handcuffed to a bunk
Robbed blind
Looked around
And there was nobody else

Left alone
I hit myself with a stone
Went home
And learned how to clean up after myself

In some respects
I suspect you've got a respectable side
When pushed and pulled and pressured
You seldom run and hide
But it's for someone elses benefit
Not for what you wanna do
Until I realize that you've realized
I'm gonna say these words to you

You don't know what love is
You do as you're told
Just as a child at ten might act
But you're far too old
You're not hopeless or helpless
And I hate to sound cold
But you don't know what love is...
You just do as you're told

I can see your man
Cant help but win
Any problems that may arise
But in his mind there can be no sin
If you never criticize
You just keep on repeating
All those empty "I love you's"
Until you say you deserve better
I'm gonna lay right into you

You don't know what love is
You just do as you're told
Just as a child of ten might act
But you're far too old
Your not hopeless or helpless
And I hate to sound cold
But you don't know what love is
No you don't know what love is
No you don't know what love is

You just do as you're told
You do as you're told
Yeah

I'm bringing back ghosts
That are no longer there
I'm gettin' hard on myself
Sittin' in my easy chair
Well, there's three people in the mirror
And I'm wonderin' which one of them I should choose
Well, I can't keep from laughin'
Spittin' out these 300 mile per hour outpour blues

I'm breakin' my teeth off
Tryin' to bite my lip
There's all kinds of red-headed women
That I ain't supposed to kiss
And it's that color that never fails
To turn me blue
So I just swallow it and hold on to it
And use it to scare the hell out of you

I have a woman
'Says come and watch me bleed
And I'm wonderin' just how I can do that
And still give her everything that she needs
Well, there's three people in my head that have the answer
And one of them's got to be you
But you're holding tight to it -- the answer
Singin' these three hundred mile per hour outpour blues

Put on gloves, a tied scarf and wrap up warm
On this winter night
Everytime you get defensive
You're just looking for a fight
It's safe to sing somebody out there's got a problem
With almost anything you'll do
Well, next time they stab you don't fight back just play the victim
Instead of playin' the fool
And the roads are covered with a million
Little molecules
Of cigarette ashes and the school floors are covered
With pieces of pencil eraser too
Well sooner or later the ground's gonna be holdin' all
Of my ashes too
But I can't help but wonder if after I'm gone will I still have these three hundred mile per
hour, finger breaking, no answers makin', battered dirty hands, bee stung and busted up, empty
cup torrential outpour blues

One thing's for sure: in that graveyard
I'm gonna have the shiniest pair of shoes

Conquest-
He was out to make a conquest
Didn't care what harm was done
Just as long as he won
The prize

Conquest-
She was just another conquest
Didn't care whose heart was broke
Love to him was a joke
'til he looked into her eyes

And then in the strange way things happen
The roles were reversed from that day
The hunted became the huntress
The hunter became the prey

Conquest-
Now you know who made the conquest
She, with all her female guile
Led him helpless down the aisle
She had finally made a conquest

Ahh ahh ahh ahhhhh [x4]
Oooh oooooohh oohhhh

And then in the strange way things happen
The roles were reversed from that day
The hunted became the huntress
The hunter became the prey

Conquest-
Now you know who made the conquest
She, with all her female guile
Led him helpless down the aisle
She had finally made a conquest

Ahhhhh

Conquest

Hey
Look closer and you see
I will be running it
I got a hundred dollar bill
In the cockpit
Surprised me in the line
Is a blackhole
I got another job
At the liquor store

Damn
Oh well
I'm bone broke

They got a white pony
In the stable
And ride him
When the doggie isn't able
He doesn't really care
Because they pay him
But still a black suit
Is gonna shake him

Down
Oh well
I'm bone broke
Yeah
As broke as I'll ever be

Looking at the way girl
I'm telling ya
God gave 7 minutes right too ya
And your mother put her money into platinum
And now you never have to pay attention

Do ya?

Yeah
I'm nailing on a brick
With my nails
I'm sending loads of moneys
In the mail
Keep shouting in my box yeah for saying
And the the brick breakers
Gonna break it down

Oh well
I'm bone broke

Looking at the way girl
I'm telling ya
God gave 7 minutes right too ya
Your mother put her money into platinum
So that you wouldn't have to pay attention

Singing
Li De Li De Li Oh Oh
Well A Li De Li De Li Oh Oh
Li De Li De Li Oh Oh
Well A Li De Li De Li Oh Oh

Well the hills are pretty and rollin'
But the thorn is sharp and swollen
And the man plays a beautiful whistle
But he wears a prickly thistle

Singing
Li De Li De Li Oh Oh
Well A Li De Li De Li Oh Oh
Li De Li De Li Oh Oh
Well A Li De Li De Li Oh Oh

The silver birches pierce through an icy fog
Which covers the ground most daily
And the angels which carry St. Andrew high
Are singing a tune most gaily

One sound can hold back a thousand hands
When the pipe plays a tune forlorn
And the thistle is a prickly flower
Aye, But how it is sweetly worn

Singing
Li De Li De Li Oh Oh
Well A Li De Li De Li Oh Oh
Li De Li De Li Oh Oh
Well A Li De Li De Li Oh Oh

This battle is in the air
I'm looking upwards
Where are the angels?
I'm not in my home

St. andrew don't forsake me
St. andrew
Don't forsake me

Who is here to greet me?
The children are kind
I'm not in my home
I travel backwards in ecstacy
Where ar ethe angels?
Don't forget me

St. andrew
I've been true
What do I need to say?
What do I need to say?

One, two, three, four!

Well every highway that I go down
Seems to be longer than the last one that I knew about
Oh well

And every girl that I walk around
Seems to be more of an illusion than the last one I found
Oh well

And this old man in front of me wearing canes and ruby rings
And it's like a dang explosion when he sings

And with every chance to set himself on fire,
He just ends up doin' the same thing

Well, each beautiful thing I come across
Tells me to stop moving and shake this riddle off
Oh well

And there was a time when all I wanted
Was my ice cream colder and a little cream soda
Oh well, oh well

And a wooden box and an alley full of rocks
Was all I had to care about
Oh well, oh well, oh well

Now my mind is filled with rubber tires and forest fires
And whether I'm a liar
And lots of other situations
Where I don't know what to do
At which time God screams to me
There's nothing left for me to tell you
Nothing left for me to tell you
Nothing left
Oh well, oh well, oh well, oh well
Oh well, oh well, oh well, oh well

[Jack & Meg:]
Rag & Bone!
Rag & Bone!
Rag & Bone!
Rag & Bone!

[Jack:]
Meg, look at this place
This place looks like a mansion!
It's like a mansion, look at all this stuff!
Look, I see something over there.

We got you here selling rag and bone
Bring out your junk and we'll give it a home
A broken trumpet or a telephone
Ah, come on, come on, come on
Come and give it to me

Yeah!

Come on, come on, come on
Come on and give it to me

Rag & Bone!
Rag & B one!

Ah, come on, come on, come on
Come on and give it to me

All of your pretty
Your pretty little Rags & Bones

[Jack:] Well, look at all this, you don't want it?

[Meg:] What is that?

[Jack:]
You sure you don't want it? Take it.
They're just things you don't want.
I can use 'em.
Meg can use 'em
We can do something with 'em
We'll make something out of 'em
Make some money out of 'em at least.

Hey if you ain't gonna use it, just give it to us
We'll give it a home

Well, I hope you got something shoddy for me
Everybody got a Christmas tree
Can you part with a toilet seat?
Ah, jump up, jump up, jump up
Come on and give it to me

Rag & Bone!

We wanna get it Granny, while it's hot
You think it's trash Granny, but it's not
Oh, we'll be taking whatever you got
Ah, give up, give up, give up
Come on and give it to me

Woo!

All of your pretty
Your pretty little Rags & Bones

[Meg:] I saw some stuff in here, now are you gonna give it to us?

[Jack:] Ah, Meg, don't be rude

[Meg:] Why not?

[Jack:]
They might need it.
And if you don't want it, we'll take it
And if you don't wanna give it to us,
We'll keep walking by
We'll keep going we're not tired
But, got plenty of places to go
Lots of homes we ain't been to yet
The west side
The south-west side
Middle east
Rich house
Dog house
Outhouse
Old folks' house
House for unwed mothers
Halfway homes
Catacombs
Twilight Zones
Looking for Technic's turntables to gramophones
So take a last lick of your ice-cream cones
And lock up what you still wanna own
But please be kind
And don't rewind

All of your pretty
Your pretty little Rags & Bones
Your pretty little Rags & Bones

Ah, jump up, jump up, jump up
Come on and give it to me

Your pretty little Rags & Bones

[Jack & Meg:]
Ah, come on, come on, come on
Come on and give it to us!

[Jack:]
Yeah!
Yeah, yeah!
Oh yeah!
Yeah!

[Meg:] Yeah!

[Jack & Meg, x13:] Yeah!

I'm slowly turning into you
But you don't know this
Tell the truth
You say I'm lying and I never really tell you the truth
But your face is getting older
So put your head on my shoulder
Yeah, put your head on my shoulder

Yesterday it hit me that I do all the little things
That you do
Except the same little things that you do are annoying
They're annoying as hell in fact
It kinda struck a little bell in fact
I like to keep my little shell intact

And I'm slowly turning into you
And I'm slowly turning into you

Then something else came to mind
That was the mirror
It made everything clearer
That you're more beautiful compelling and stronger
It didn't take much longer
Just for me to realize I love all the little things
And the beauty that they're gonna bring
I dig your little laugh and I'm lovin' your quick wit
I even love it when you're faking it
And it might sound a little strange for me to say to you
But I'm proud to be you

And I'm slowly turning into you
And I'm slowly turning into you
And I'm slowly turning into you
And I'm slowly turning into you

She was sixteen and six feet tall
In a crowd of teenagers comin' out of the zoo
She stumbled started to slip and fall
Teeter-tottered on the top of patent leather shoes
I happened to catch her and said,
"maybe these ruby shoes are a little cumbersome for you"

Maybe for you, now

But not as shaky as I must have seemed
Talkin' junk through her giggle, little teenage dream
And on the phone I could not compete
My dumb-love fake competence was getting weak
For a sec' I thought I sounded sweet
But sure 'nough in a gruff, faint voice
I heard myself speak

[Chorus:]
I could stay a while
But sooner or later I'll break your smile
And I can tell a joke
But one of these days I'm bound to choke
And we could share a kiss
But I feel like I can't go through with this
And I bet we could build a home
But I know the right thing for me to do
Is to leave you alone

Leave you alone, now

I'm beginning to like you
So you probably won't get what I'm going to do
I'm walkin' away from you
It probably don't make much sense to you
But I'm trying to save you
From all of the things that I'll probably say or do

I'll probably do

[Chorus:]
I could stay a while
But sooner or later I'll break your smile
And I can tell a joke
But one of these days I'm bound to choke
And we might share a kiss
But I feel like a can't go through with this
And I bet we could build a home
But I know the right thing for me to do
Is to leave you alone

Leave you alone, now

You'll probably call me a fool
And say I'm doin' exactly what a coward would do
And I'm beginning to like you
What a shame it's a lame way to live
But what can I do?
I hope you appreciate what I do

I'm a martyr for my love for you
A martyr for my love for you, now
A martyr for my love for you
A martyr for my love for you

(If you go looking for hot water
Don't act shocked when you get
Burned a little bit)

If you really want some hot water
I can help you find it

Oh
Oh
Ah yeah

Well if they catch me around
You're playing rock the boat
I'm gonna catch hell

And if you're throwing your voice
In bed singing a note
I'm gonna catch hell
I know it

Yes, alright
Try and catch me

Oh yeah

Tricky, tricky
Yeah

Oh
Oh

If you're getting chick (?)
Lying to yourself
You're gonna catch hell

And if you're testing God
Lying to his face
You're gonna catch hell
C'mon

Hey
That's it
They're gonna catch you
Ha, they're gonna catch you

(Easy)

I guess you have to have a probelm
If you want to 'vent a contraption
Well you cause a trainwreck
And then you put me in traction
First came an action
And then a reaction
But you can't switch around
For your own satisfaction
Well you burnt my house down
And then got mad at my reaction

Well in every complicated situation
There's a human relation
To make sense of it all
Take a whole lot of concentration
Well you can't blame her baby
For her pregnant ma
And if there's one of these unavoidable laws

It's just that you can't just take the effect and make it the cause

Well you can't take the effect
And make it the cause
I didn't rob a bank
Cos you made up the law
Blame me for robbing peter
Don't you blame Paul
Can't take the effect
And make it the cause

I ain't the reason that you gave me
No reason to return your call
You built a house of cards
And got shocked when you saw them fall
Well I ain't saying I'm innocent
In fact the reverse
But if your heading to the grave
Don't blame the hearse
You're like a little girl yelling at her brother
Cos you lost his ball

You keep blaming me for what you did
And that ain't all
The way you clean up the wreck
Is enough to give one pause
You seem to forget just how this song started
I'm reacting to you
Cos you left me broken hearted

It's just that you can't just take the effect and make it the cause

Well you can't take the effect
And make it the cause
I didn't rob a bank
Cos you made up the law
Blame me for robbing peter
Don't you blame Paul
Can't take the effect
And make it the cause