Let's Build A Home

Album: De Stijl (2000)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The intro is a recording of Jack White when he was about 6 years old. He's talking to his mother and his older brother, who are encouraging him to sing a song he had been singing earlier. He complies, singing:

    I wish I had a little red box
    To put my best friends in
    I'd take them out and
    Put them back again


    According to white, it was "some sort of religious song" he was trying to sing, and he got the lyrics wrong. It was supposed to be:

    I wish I had a little red box
    To put the Devil in
    I'd take him out and punch, punch, punch
    And put him back again


    This is a variation of the second verse of a Christian children's song called "Little White Box." The first verse goes something like:

    I wish I had a little white box
    To put my Jesus in
    I'd take Him out and kiss kiss kiss
    And share him with my friends
  • Part of the second White Stripes album, De Stijl, "Let's Build A Home" is one of the group's minimalist songs, running just 1:58 including the 25-second intro. They were a duo who could make quite a racket between Jack's distorted guitar and Meg's insistent drumming.

    There's not much to the lyric, which finds Jack singing about getting some bricks and building a home. On songs like this one, he kept the words very simple, almost like children's songs.
  • "Let's Build A Home" is a lesser-known early track from the White Stripes, but it often popped up in their setlists over the years. They played it during their weeklong run as musical guests on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in April 2003.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."