Fell in Love with a Girl - The White Stripes

On 11 February 2019 I set myself the challenge of reading 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery (ed.) and following the book’s advice to the letter. I’ve previously read 1001 Films… and started 1001 Albums… but felt 1001 Songs… would be a sensible place to start for what I have in mind here.

My challenge is to read about one song per day and listen to it (YouTube and Spotify, I need you tonight!) before sharing my own thoughts. Some songs I will love, others I’ll hate, and I’m sure there will be those that leave me perplexed but listen to them I shall.

I’ll also try, and most likely fail, to pinpoint the best song from the 1001 on offer but I’m nothing if not foolhardy. Instead of one song, I’m predicting I’ll have about 100 favourites by the end and may have to resort to a Top 10 so far to maintain any semblance of sanity.

So long as I post every day (including Christmas) then this challenge should come to an end on Wednesday 8 November 2021. Staying with the Barney Stinson theme I am hoping that the whole experience will prove to be… legendary!

The White Stripes – Fell in Love with a Girl (2001)

Fell in Love with a Girl – Wikipedia

” Fell in Love with a Girl” is a song by the American garage 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 2002, it peaked at number 21 on both the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and the UK Singles Chart.

Lyrics (via Genius)

Read “Fell in Love with a Girl” by The White Stripes on Genius

We’re remaining in the US today, dear reader, but leaving New York and making our way to Detroit in Michigan. The White Stripes were formed in 1997 and led by husband and wife team – Jack and Meg White. Jack was on guitar and vocals while Meg could be found on drums and also provided vocals. We join the duo in 2001 with the release of their third album, White Blood Cells, and from there 1001 Songs have lifted one of the singles – Fell in Love with a Girl.

Fell in Love with a Girl is a blink and you will miss it kind of track, clocking in at under 2 minutes. As the title suggests, the song concerns being in love with a girl and the mixture of emotions that this can bring. The narrator sounds like they are young, perhaps this is their first experience of love and it is all very new and confusing. Their mind seems to be all over the place and there is a suggestion that this girl may not necessarily feel the same way. In fact, there is a suggestion that our narrator may only be a temporary fix for her before she moves onto someone else.

I used to own the White Elephant album by The White Stripes which was the follow up to White Blood Cells and a fine record it is. Fell in Love with a Girl crams so much content, depth and talent into less than 120 seconds that you are left gasping for more. White Blood Cells would propel the duo to commercial stardom and greater success would follow when it came to White Elephant.

Favourite songs so far:

The Animals – House of the Rising Sun (1964)

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sounds of Silence (1965)

The Beatles – A Day in the Life (1967)

The Doors – The End (1967)

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)

Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell (1977)

Tracy Chapman – Fast Car (1988)

U2 – One (1991)

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah (1994)

Radiohead – Paranoid Android (1997)