Get Behind Me Satan
by The White Stripes

From NubbinBased 02/01/2013 20:48 | #63609 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

I'm going to tell you that this is The White Stripes' best album so hang with me. I get that you all are attached to White Blood Cells. I get the appeal of that album, it's a jolt of rock. This album is not White Blood Cells. It requires an acquired taste, an open mind. The White Stripes fan base expect rock, which is why this album is often cited as their worst.
From a songwriting standpoint, this is their best. I like to start the album off with "The Nurse" and not "Blue Orchid" because I feel like "Blue Orchid" was slapped in there at the last minute just so this album could have a single. "The Nurse" sets the correct tone for the album, it is also the best track. I understand why some people do not like "The Nurse", but keep in mind that "The Nurse" is a song about murder (at least from my interpretation), so it should be uncomfortable to listen to. It really gets me into the right frame of mind for the rest of the album. So for the sake of being a snob, I'm going to pretend like "Blue Orchid" doesn't exist.
Get Behind Me Satan explores many themes, but the one that stands out the most for me is how to overcome seclusion. Every track represents a different scenario that deals with the issue. One of the more stunning tracks, "White Moon", is about a soldier who carries a photograph of Rita Hayworth to symbolize his "girl back home" that he never had. In this album, Hayworth represents the unobtainable dream, which grows obsessive in "Take, Take, Take", a song about seeing Hayworth in the flesh.
Another standout track, "Little Ghost" is about still being attached to the memory of a dead spouse.
"Every morning I awoke
And I see my little ghost
Wondering if it's really her that's lying there
I lean to touch her and I whisper
But not brave enough to kiss her
When I held her I was really holding air"
What makes a song like this so great is its devastating lyrics being accompanied by one of the most joyful melodies The White Stripes ever created. The White Stripes use this trick throughout most of the album.
The final track "I'm Lonely" is a heartbreaking ending to the album. This song tells the listener that there is always love in family, even though the family is out of reach in a place far away. Which may be about Jack's own feelings about touring. In any case, it's still an amazing song.
Overall, my interpretation of this album might be different from your own. This is one of the many reasons why this album so unique. In the end, I feel satisfied, which is what really counts.

From Mike43 04/01/2012 09:35 | #39274 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

The most underrated stripes album. It's a departure from the sound of their previous albums, but it works. They didn't want to become a rehash band, so they tried something knew and it produced some fantastic songs. Blue Orchid is an intense and catchy rock song, White Moon is a heart-wrenching piano ballad, and Take, Take, Take is one of the funniest songs I have ever heard. This album has a little bit of everything. It might not be the most accessible stripes album, but it is certainly a grower that ended up being one of my favorites.

From drakonium 01/18/2013 06:11 | #61947 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

The WS took a direction that could have been interesting on this one, but I think it mostly doesn't work.

From RoundTheBend TOP 100 COMMENTER 06/05/2016 17:52 | #167941 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Instead of hiding behind loud guitar riffs, this album I think focuses more on good songwriting. Some aren't crazy about that, but I think it's fantastic.

They needed to shake things up at the time, but I'm not sure they really pulled off the new sound that well. Some great songs like Take, Take, Take and I'm Lonely nonetheless.