'Seven Nation Army'

"Seven Nation Army" is the first track on the album Elephant by American alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released as a single in 2003, and is one of the best-known songs from the band. Seven Nation Army reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks for three weeks and won 2004's Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The song is known for its underlying riff, which plays throughout most of the song. Although it sounds like a bass guitar (an instrument the group had famously never previously used), the sound is actually created by running Jack White's semi-acoustic guitar (a 1950s style Kay Hollowbody) through a whammy pedal set down an octave. The riff was composed at a sound check before a show at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne, Australia, according to the set notes in the booklet which accompanied the Under Blackpool Lights DVD. The riff was inspired by the main theme of the Fifth Symphony composed by Anton Bruckner (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgXBp-oEIR0&feature=youtu.be&t=21m29s). The song shows a rare example of the Phrygian Half Cadence in popular music. It is also a rare example of a popular song with a wholly instrumental refrain. According to White, "Seven Nation Army" was what he used to call the Salvation Army as a child. In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Seven Nation Army" at number 8 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In September 2005, NME placed "Seven Nation Army" at number 5 in its list of the 50 Greatest Tracks Of The Decade. In May 2008, Rolling Stone placed this song at number 21 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. A remix of the song was used in the trailer for Battlefield 1, which caused the song to spike up to the low 100's on Itunes charts.

[Verse 1] I'm gonna fight 'em off A seven nation army couldn't hold me back They're gonna rip it off Taking their time right behind my back And I'm talking to myself at night Because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette [Pre-Chorus 1] And the message coming from my eyes Says "Leave it alone" [Instrumental Chorus] [Verse 2] Don't want to hear about it Every single one's got a story to tell Everyone knows about it From the Queen of England to the Hounds of Hell And if I catch it coming back my way I'm gonna serve it to you And that ain't what you want to hear But that's what I'll do [Pre-Chorus 2] And the feeling coming from my bones Says "Find a home" [Instrumental Chorus] [Guitar Solo] [Verse 3] I'm going to Wichita Far from this opera forevermore I'm gonna work the straw Make the sweat drip out of every pore And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding Right before the Lord All the words are gonna bleed from me And I will sing no more [Pre-Chorus 3] And the stains coming from my blood Tell me "Go back home" [Instrumental Chorus]