The Big Three Killed My Baby

actually the big 3 is what was used to refer to the major automobile monopolies in the 1950s-1960s; GM, Ford, and Chrysler. i'm sure about this due to the car references and if you've ever watched the movie Tucker, you'd know what i'm talking about

basically this guy tried to start a car company and was having trouble trying to compete with the big 3's way of eliminating competition through black mail and money. in the end his company was taken away and only a handful of tuckers (cars) were ever made, but they're worth a shitload today. he was a threat to the big 3 because of his innovative safety designs which we all see being used today: seat belts, pop out windshields, more space between the car and the tire, better headlights, etc.

This song is absolutely about the big three (GM Ford Chrysler), and it's planned obscalecense in the 60's and 70's. It also has a deeper meaning to me, something only understood by someone who grew up in the Detroit autoworker culture could understand.

That is the utter frustration and boredom of working in an auto manufacturing plant, or any of their feeder plants, which I work in. Your pay isn't nearly what it should be compared to the massive amount of work you do, and it's nothing compared to what the guys in the big three plants make (no money in my hand again).

You end up hating the big three because they have gutted your city for so long, and you feel as if you live on an island, because you are surrounded by people entranced by the auto industry (better ideas are stuck in the mud), who are convinced it is still a viable business, so it's extremely frustrating (I'm about to have another blowout)

This song is not about the WWII big three, because you have to think about where Jack and Meg grew up, and the culture they grew up in. No doubt someone in their family worked for either GM Ford or Chrysler at some point, and Jack must have seen them go through the same terrible things that autoworkers and workers in the feeder plants go through everyday. ie, the boredom, the repetative nature of the job, the utter dependance on a faceless corperation for your paycheck, etc.

It's akin to a coal miner back in the 19th century... think of it that way... Living across from Detroit you have this feeling that it could all be over at any minute, thats where I think this song comes from.

I'm not sure if it has anything to do with THIS song, but three seems to be a magic number with the white stripes. Both De Stijl and White Blood Cells have roman numeral threes in the booklet, they're label is Third Man, Jack has been seen in various shirts with threes on them and the e's on De Stijl are sideways roman numeral threes. There may be more references I missed. I'm not sure why they like the number three. I know it's a holy number (like 40 or 7), but I don't know if that would really mean anything. Well, there's what I know.

It is definitely definitely definitely the big three car companies, okay? Jack's from Detroit, home ofthe big three.

No political references here.

i take that back, it seems he was referring to the motor companies?

who the fuck are the big three? why is jack wearing a shirt with a small three on the cover of this single? why don't they play a show in this shitty town? oh well this song is fucking awesome

You guys are probably right, but there's a punk rock song called "The KKK took my baby away" and i was thinking maybe big 3? you know? Oh well, I've never even heard the song, I just think White Stripes are awesome. POSTD RULES!!!!!!!

yea i think its about the car companies also like scar was saying about the movie tucker "better ideas are stuck in the mud the motors runnin' on tuckers blood" seems to me its quite obvious what hes singing about :P

Jack has been quoted many times talking about this song, and saying how much he hates cars and the major car companies.

i thought it was the big three at the treaty of versailles(george clemanceau, david lloyd george, woodrow wilson) because it was thought that due to the harshness of the treaty there would be yet another generation put out to war (the big three killed my baby) and it happened with world war two.

Although i now think it's about the cars, just makes more sense.