Suzy Lee (song)

Last updated
"Suzy Lee"
Song by The White Stripes
from the album The White Stripes
Released1999
Genre Alternative rock, blues rock
Length3:22
Label V2 Records
Songwriter(s) Jack White
Producer(s) Jack White

"Suzy Lee" is a love song by the American rock band The White Stripes from their 1999 self-titled album.

The name Suzy Lee appears in the song as well as other instances throughout the White Stripes' discography, most notably from their 2001 album White Blood Cells , in the song "We're Going to Be Friends", and the dedication of Get Behind Me Satan [1] in which Jack White dedicated the album to Suzy Lee, "Wherever she may be..." It is rumored that Suzy Lee was a childhood friend of his.

Music

Unlike most of the White Stripes' alternative rock and folk rock songs, "Suzy Lee" draws a large influence from blues music, most obviously with the use of a slide guitar throughout the song, played by Johnny Walker of Soledad Brothers. Although it is different from many of their other songs, a characteristically simple and heavy drum beat, played by Meg White, largely drives the song's melody.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The White Stripes</span> American rock duo (1997–2011)

The White Stripes were an American rock duo formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White and Meg White. They were a leading group of the 2000s indie rock and garage rock revival.

<i>Elephant</i> (album) 2003 studio album by the White Stripes

Elephant is the fourth studio album by the American rock duo The White Stripes. It was released on April 1, 2003, through V2, XL, and Third Man records. The album was produced by the band's guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White, and continues their "back-to-basics" approach seen in White Blood Cells (2001). It was mostly recorded at Maida Vale and Toe Rag Studios across two weeks in April 2002, and was produced without the use of computers, instead utilizing a duct-taped 8 track tape machine and various gear no more recent than 1963.

<i>The White Stripes</i> (album) 1999 studio album by the White Stripes

The White Stripes is the debut studio album by American rock duo the White Stripes, released on June 15, 1999. The album was produced by Jim Diamond and vocalist/guitarist Jack White, recorded in January 1999 at Ghetto Recorders and Third Man Studios in Detroit. White dedicated the album to deceased blues musician Son House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack White</span> American musician (born 1975)

John Anthony White is an American musician who served as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. A key artist of the 2000s garage rock revival, he is known for his distinctive musical techniques and eccentricity. He has won 12 Grammy Awards among other accolades. Rolling Stone included him on their 2010 and 2023 lists of the greatest guitarists of all time. The New York Times called White "the coolest, weirdest and savviest rockstar of our time" in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meg White</span> American retired musician (born 1974)

Megan Martha White is an American retired musician who served as the drummer and occasional singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. A key artist of the 2000s garage rock revival, White is noted for her "primal" style of playing and elusive media image. Though she typically performed backing vocals for the band, she occasionally sang lead for one song on each album, including "In the Cold, Cold Night" and "Passive Manipulation".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Lee (musician)</span> American rock musician (1945–2006)

Arthur Taylor Lee was an American musician, singer and songwriter who rose to fame as the leader of the Los Angeles rock band Love. Love's 1967 album Forever Changes was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and it is part of the National Recording Registry.

<i>Get Behind Me Satan</i> 2005 studio album by the White Stripes

Get Behind Me Satan is the fifth studio album by the American rock duo the White Stripes, released on June 7, 2005, on V2 Records. Though still basic in production style, the album marked a distinct change from its guitar-heavy 2003 predecessor, Elephant. With its reliance on piano-driven melodies and experimentation with marimba on "The Nurse" and "Forever For Her ", Get Behind Me Satan plays down the punk, garage rock and blues influences that dominated earlier White Stripes albums. Frontman Jack White plays with different technique than in the past, replacing electric guitar with piano, mandolin, and acoustic guitar on all but a handful of tracks, as his usual riff-conscious lead guitar style is overtaken by a predominantly rhythmic approach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Orchid</span> 2005 single by the White Stripes

"Blue Orchid" is the first track by the American alternative rock band the White Stripes from their album Get Behind Me Satan, and the first single to be released from the album. The song was released six weeks after it was written. Although it was suspected that Jack White wrote the song about his breakup with Renée Zellweger, he has denied this claim. Lyrically, "Blue Orchid" is about White's longing for classical entertainment industries and the turmoil that the newer industries sent him through.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fell in Love with a Girl</span> 2002 single by The White Stripes

"Fell in Love with a Girl" is a song by the American rock band the White Stripes, written by the band and produced by Jack White for the band's third studio album, White Blood Cells (2001). Released as the album's second single in February 2002, it peaked at number 21 on both the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and the UK Singles Chart. It was also the band's first single to reach the U.S. Alternative Songs chart, peaking at number 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Nation Army</span> 2003 single by the White Stripes

"Seven Nation Army" is a song by American rock duo the White Stripes. It is the opening track on their fourth studio album, Elephant (2003). V2 Records released the song to American alternative radio on February 17, 2003, as the lead single from the album. Worldwide, the single was issued through XL Recordings. Written and produced by Jack White, the song consists of distorted vocals, a simple drumbeat, and a bass line created by playing a guitar through a pitch shift effect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hardest Button to Button</span> 2003 single by the White Stripes

"The Hardest Button to Button" is a song by American alternative rock band the White Stripes, released on August 11, 2003 through V2, XL, and Third Man records. It was written by Jack White and composed by the band for their fourth album, Elephant. According to Jack, the song is about a child trying to find his place in a dysfunctional family when a new baby comes. The cover of the single is an allusion to the graphics of Saul Bass, seen in the movie posters and title sequences of films such as Anatomy of a Murder and The Man with the Golden Arm. The cover also alludes to White's then-broken index finger and his obsession with the number three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground</span> 2002 single by the White Stripes

"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is a song by American garage rock band the White Stripes, featured on their 2001 third studio album White Blood Cells. Written by the band and produced by vocalist and guitarist Jack White, "Dead Leaves" was released as the third single from the album in July 2002, charting at number 19 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We're Going to Be Friends</span> 2002 promotional single by The White Stripes

"We're Going to Be Friends" is a song by American alternative rock band White Stripes from their album White Blood Cells. It was released in 2002 and tells the story of meeting a new friend at the beginning of a school year.

<i>Icky Thump</i> 2007 studio album by The White Stripes

Icky Thump is the sixth and final studio album by American rock duo The White Stripes, released through Warner Bros. and Third Man Records in June 2007, with XL Recordings handling the United Kingdom release. Its first release came on June 15, 2007, in Germany, with the release for the rest of Europe occurring on June 18 and the rest of the world on June 19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icky Thump (song)</span> 2007 single by the White Stripes

"Icky Thump" is a song recorded by the American alternative rock band the White Stripes. Written by Jack White, it was the first single released from their sixth and final album of the same name. The song is a heavy garage-rock piece whose lyrics challenge anti-immigration pundits for their hypocrisy. It was recorded and mixed at Nashville's Blackbird studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dead Weather</span> American rock band

The Dead Weather is an American rock supergroup, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2009. Composed of Alison Mosshart, Jack White, Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence. The Dead Weather debuted at the opening of Third Man Records' Nashville headquarters on March 11, 2009. The band performed live for the first time at the event, immediately before releasing their debut single "Hang You from the Heavens".

<i>Under Great White Northern Lights</i> 2009 rockumentary directed by the Malloys

Under Great White Northern Lights is a 2009 documentary film about the White Stripes' summer 2007 tour across Canada directed by Emmett Malloy. It contains live concert and off-stage footage. The film's accompanying album is a collection of various recordings from throughout the tour. The documentary was released on DVD and Blu-ray, and the album was released on CD as well as 180-gram vinyl LP. A special edition box set was also available. The CD, LP, DVD, BD, and box set were all released on March 16, 2010 in Canada, with other dates worldwide.

<i>Blunderbuss</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Jack White

Blunderbuss is the debut solo studio album by American musician Jack White. It was released in digital and physical formats beginning April 23, 2012, through Third Man Records, in association with XL Recordings and Columbia Records. Written almost entirely by White, the album was recorded and produced by him at Third Man Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Various musical styles appear throughout, including blues rock, folk, and country soul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over and Over and Over</span> 2018 single by Jack White

"Over and Over and Over" is a song by American musician Jack White. It was released as the third single from his third solo studio album, Boarding House Reach (2018), on March 1, 2018. In the US, the song peaked at number 20 on the Alternative Songs chart and number 33 on the Hot Rock Songs chart.

<i>White Blood Cells</i> 2001 studio album by The White Stripes

White Blood Cells is the third studio album by American rock duo the White Stripes, independently released by the Sympathy for the Record Industry on July 3, 2001. Recording took place in Memphis, Tennessee at Easley-McCain Recording over three days, and was produced by guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White. Production was rushed in order to capture a "real tense feeling" and the band's energy, and was their first album to be mastered in a studio.

References

  1. Saro (2009-07-20). "Every Jack White Song: #7 Suzy Lee". Everyjackwhitesong.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-11-11.