We're Going to Be Friends
From Stripespedia
Contents |
Releases
- White Blood Cells (2001)
- Under Great White Northern Lights (2010)
Other Appearances
- Opening credits of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite.
- End of the House episode "Mirror Mirror", first aired October 30, 2007.
- Covered by Jack Johnson for his 2006 album Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George.
- Jack Johnson's cover was or is often used during segments on PBS's PBS Kids Preschool Block.
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien, a longtime fan and friend of the White Stripes, asked the band to perform on the series finale of his long-running late-night talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien on February 20, 2009. At his request, they performed a special rendition of "We're Going to Be Friends", one of O'Brien's favorite songs by the band (in one of his favorite keys, G), to the tune of Conan's Conan Sings a Lullaby sketch. Jack played his guitar Rita, and Meg played a vintage Truetone electric guitar.
The performance polarized fans and viewers (the majority of whom didn't get the sketch reference), generating reactions ranging from "incredibly heartfelt" to "grimace-worthy". After the performance, a visibly emotional Conan O'Brien thanked them and audibly whispered to Jack that their performance "meant the world to me".
This performance proved to be their last, upon their breakup in February 2011.
Credits
Performers
- Jack White: acoustic guitar, vocal
- Meg White: presumably keeping time, although that might be Jack
Production
- Originally recorded by The White Stripes.
- Written by Jack White and Meg White.
- Produced by Jack White.
- Mixed by Jack White and Stewart Sikes.
- Engineered by Stewart Sikes.
- Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Absolute Audio.
- Recorded February 2001 at Easley-McCain Recording, Memphis, Tennessee.
Meaning
Band Quotes
- Jack White: "I didn't really have much of a great time in grade school, so I like writing about that. I write about it a lot - actually having friends in grade school and having a girlfriend or something back then when you really wanted it. Kids are just so cruel sometimes. It's nice to fantasize that they're not."
Trivia
Lyrics
Fall is here, hear the yell. Back to school, ring the bell. Brand new shoes, walking blues. Climb the fence, books and pens. I can tell that we are going to be friends. Walk with me, Suzy Lee, through the park and by the tree. We will rest upon the ground, and look at all the bugs we found, then safely walk to school without a sound. Here we are, no one else. We walked to school all by ourselves. There's dirt on all our uniforms from chasing all the ants and worms. We clean up and now it's time to learn. Numbers, letters, learn to spell. Nouns, and books, and show and tell. At playtime, we will throw the ball. Back to class, through the hall. Teacher marks our height against the wall. And we don't notice any time pass, we don't notice anything. We sit side-by-side in every class. Teacher thinks that I sound funny, but she likes the way you sing. Tonight, I'll dream while in my bed, when silly thoughts go through my head about the bugs and alphabet, and when I wake tomorrow I'll bet that you and I will walk together again, 'cause I can tell that we are going to be friends.
Video
The video for the song was directed by frequent Jack White collaborator Kevin Carrico. It features Jack White on a couch lip-syncing to the song while playing a Framus archtop, with Meg asleep behind him. A closer look at the video reveals that, for some reason, the couch is actually outside, in front of Jack and Meg's house.
