"We're Going to Be Friends" | ||||
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Promotional single by The White Stripes | ||||
from the album White Blood Cells | ||||
Released | 2002 | |||
Recorded | February 2001 [1] [2] | |||
Studio | Easley-McCain Recording, Memphis, Tennessee | |||
Genre | Folk rock, acoustic rock, children’s music | |||
Length | 2:28 | |||
Label | V2 Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jack White | |||
Producer(s) | Jack White | |||
The White Stripes singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"We're Going to Be Friends" on YouTube |
"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.
"Suzy Lee," who is mentioned in the song in "We're Going to Be Friends", makes recurring appearances in White Stripes' discography, including in their eponymous album, which includes the song "Suzy Lee", as well as on Get Behind Me Satan , [3] which is dedicated to Suzy Lee, "Wherever she may be..."
The song speaks of a girl and boy who become friends while engaging in activities in and out of school. AllMusic said the song "takes a nostalgic look back at the innocence of school days with a surprisingly sensitive vocal as [Jack] expertly paints impressions of days past with deft economy." [4]
The video features Jack and Meg White on a couch in front of Jack's house at night time. Jack is playing a guitar, while Meg is sleeping alongside him. Jack wakes Meg as the song ends. The cover of the single is a still from the video.
The video was shot in one take after the band had finished shooting for the video for the song "Hotel Yorba".
Tom Maginnis with AllMusic called the song a "sweet acoustic ballad," [4] and NME called it "fey childhood-sweetheart folk." [5] The A.V. Club said it was "the album's most shocking track." [6]
Featured in the opening credits of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite , writer/director Jared Hess commented that, originally, they could not find the song they were looking for, but wanted to use "We're Going to Be Friends," so a copy of Napoleon Dynamite was sent to The White Stripes, who promptly approved the song's use in the film. [7] [8] It was the first film to feature a White Stripes song. [9]
Singer-songwriter Jack Johnson recorded a cover of the song on his album Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George . From around 2006 or 2007 up until 2009, it was used in a promo for PBS Kids.[ citation needed ] Bright Eyes covered the song with guest First Aid Kit for the charity album Cool for School: For the Benefit of the Lunchbox Fund. [10]
This song was also played at the end of the House episode entitled "Mirror Mirror", which aired October 30, 2007, although the song is not included in the show's soundtrack. The song is also featured in the Life in Pieces episode "Sexting Mall Lemonade Heartbreak". CBS included a song in commercials for its 2006 program The Class that resembled the tune of "We're Going to Be Friends." [11] When magazine Broadcasting & Cable reached out to Monotone Management (the management company of the band at the time), the company declined to comment, but indicated that the band was aware of the song and were not pleased. [11] In subsequent commercials, CBS used a different song. [11]
This song was featured in the 2017 film Wonder . The film used two versions of the song, the original version performed by the White Stripes and a cover version performed by Caroline Pennell.
This is one of Conan O'Brien's favorite songs by The White Stripes and at his request, they performed it on the final episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien on February 20, 2009. [12] A portion of the song is also the opening theme to his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend .
The song was featured on episode 5 ("The Jen Show") of the British show Extraordinary .
The song was also played during Season 7 Episode 2 of the Adult Swim animated series Rick and Morty titled "The Jerrick Trap", as well as being the end credits song of that episode.
All songs by The White Stripes unless otherwise noted
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Author | Jack White |
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Illustrator | Elinor Blake |
Genre | Children's literature |
Publisher | Third Man Books |
Publication date | November 7, 2017 |
Publication place | United States |
ISBN | 9780996401692 |
Website | https://thirdmanbooks.com/books/friends/ |
In May 2017, Third Man Records announced a children's book based on the single to be released on November 21, 2017, shortly after The White Stripes’ 20th anniversary. [13] The book became available on November 7, 2017 for pre-release events and limited distribution. [14] It was illustrated by Elinor Blake, [13] an illustrator and animator for shows such as The Ren and Stimpy Show and Pee-wee's Playhouse . [14] The book came with a digital copy of the original song and a cover version performed by The Woodstation Elementary School Singers, [13] as well as a cover by April March. [14]
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.
"Peaches" is the second single by the Stranglers, taken from their debut studio album Rattus Norvegicus (1977). Notable for its distinctive bassline, the track peaked at No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart.
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.
De Stijl is the second studio album by the American rock duo the White Stripes, released on June 20, 2000, by the Sympathy for the Record Industry. Produced by the band's guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White, the album was recorded on an 8-track analog tape in his living room following the covert divorce of members Jack and Meg White, who nevertheless continued working together. The album takes its name from the art movement of the same name, and features their early blues-inspired sound.
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.
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.
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".
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.
"Fell in Love with a Girl" is a song by the American rock band the White Stripes, written 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.
"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.
"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.
"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 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.
"Hotel Yorba" is the lead single from White Blood Cells, by American garage rock band the White Stripes. It was released on November 12, 2001.
"The Denial Twist" is the third single released from American alternative rock band the White Stripes' fifth studio album, Get Behind Me Satan (2005).
The Napoleon Dynamite original soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 2004 comedy film, Napoleon Dynamite. It featured the original score, dialogue, and other artists' songs. It was released on October 5, 2004, by Lakeshore Records.
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.
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.
"Suzy Lee" is a love song by the American rock band The White Stripes from their 1999 self-titled album.
Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend is a weekly podcast hosted by American comedian and retired talk show host Conan O'Brien. It is co-hosted by O'Brien's assistant, Sona Movsesian, and producer, Matt Gourley. The podcast debuted in November 2018 and features O'Brien talking with comedians and actors in the industry, including Jeff Goldblum, Adam Sandler, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman, Bill Burr, Tom Hanks, and Tina Fey, along with personal friends, such as Lisa Kudrow, Joel McHale and Timothy Olyphant, people he admires such as Carol Burnett, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, John Cleese, and Robert Caro, and political figures, such as Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
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.