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Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy Lyrics
Well I get into the game, but it's always the same
I'm the man with the name, Hip Eponymous Poor Boy, boy
Call me whatever you may, I ain't stoppin' the train
I got a pill for the pain, Hip Eponymous Poor Boy, boy
And I know that I can't defeat you
Yea, you don't worry now, I ain't going to preach to you
Well, there ya go
But I'll be going right there with you
Yeah wherever you'll be, you'll be lookin' at me
But don't get out of your chair
Put a bow in your hair, you might be makin' 'em stare
So leave the care to the poor boy, the boy
And that's the name of the game
Keep on stayin' the same, ain't nobody to blame
Nobody but the poor boy, the poor boy
Well okay, so you fell asleep today
What's funny to me though is that you did that yesterday
You might think I'm mad
To do all the things that I don't need to do
But while you're laughin' at me, well I'll be laughin' at you
So I get into the game, but always keep it the same
And I'll be usin' your name, but they'll be yellin' at me "Poor boy, boy"
But I'll be happy for you, cause you got nothin' to do
And I'll be singin' the blues, walkin' around singin' "Poor boy, boy"
Sometimes a cold shiver comes over me
And it turns me on when the song takes over me
But alright, I can't fight it the odds are against me
But I can't sit still
Because I know that I will
And you'll be watching me girl, takin' over the world
Let the stripes unfurl, gettin' rich singin' "Poor boy, boy"
And I'll be comin' to play, I do it every day
And the title will stay, Hip Eponymous Poor Boy, boy (Yeah)
I'm the man with the name, Hip Eponymous Poor Boy, boy
Call me whatever you may, I ain't stoppin' the train
I got a pill for the pain, Hip Eponymous Poor Boy, boy
Yea, you don't worry now, I ain't going to preach to you
Well, there ya go
But I'll be going right there with you
Yeah wherever you'll be, you'll be lookin' at me
Put a bow in your hair, you might be makin' 'em stare
So leave the care to the poor boy, the boy
And that's the name of the game
Keep on stayin' the same, ain't nobody to blame
Nobody but the poor boy, the poor boy
What's funny to me though is that you did that yesterday
You might think I'm mad
To do all the things that I don't need to do
But while you're laughin' at me, well I'll be laughin' at you
And I'll be usin' your name, but they'll be yellin' at me "Poor boy, boy"
But I'll be happy for you, cause you got nothin' to do
And I'll be singin' the blues, walkin' around singin' "Poor boy, boy"
And it turns me on when the song takes over me
But alright, I can't fight it the odds are against me
But I can't sit still
Because I know that I will
Let the stripes unfurl, gettin' rich singin' "Poor boy, boy"
And I'll be comin' to play, I do it every day
And the title will stay, Hip Eponymous Poor Boy, boy (Yeah)
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Am I the only one that thinks this is a bittersweet sendoff to Meg??? With lyrics like "I´ll be using your name" and "Let the stripes unfurl" it does give one pause.
@StupidIntellectual that is exactly what it means to me! What a fascinating love story ! Watch them sing White Moon together. It's the kind of love you live with forever
@StupidIntellectual that is exactly what it means to me! What a fascinating love story ! Watch them sing White Moon together. It's the kind of love you live with forever
I definitely thought this and Hypocritical Kiss were about Meg!
Anyway the words the verse with words missing is "Call me whatever you may I aint stopping the train I got a pill for the pain Hip eponymous poor boy, poor boy"
I think it most def. is about Meg and the whole White Stripes era.
I think it most def. is about Meg and the whole White Stripes era.
"Let the stripes unfurl," is about as unsubtle as he's gotten IMO! The whole song makes ya wonder if it's about her, but I think that lyric pretty much seals the deal!
"Let the stripes unfurl," is about as unsubtle as he's gotten IMO! The whole song makes ya wonder if it's about her, but I think that lyric pretty much seals the deal!
It's rather a cutting song really...with him saying yeah you'll be around, but so will I and way more than you. He pretty much also says that she's lazy and isn't really doing much while he's going around achieving all that he is. It's a cold song, but also motivational...you know you...
It's rather a cutting song really...with him saying yeah you'll be around, but so will I and way more than you. He pretty much also says that she's lazy and isn't really doing much while he's going around achieving all that he is. It's a cold song, but also motivational...you know you like to just keep proving yourself when you've had a falling apart with someone.
I don't think it's about her being lazy, I think it's just about the fact that the White Stripes was his 'thing' but that he had to rely on her for that and she didn't want to do it anymore. Definitely with 'let the stripes unfurl' and 'I'll be using your name' too. I think it's obvious but I guess to some it might not be if they don't know the imagery and were purely judging it on his solo work without background White Stripes knowledge.
I don't think it's about her being lazy, I think it's just about the fact that the White Stripes was his 'thing' but that he had to rely on her for that and she didn't want to do it anymore. Definitely with 'let the stripes unfurl' and 'I'll be using your name' too. I think it's obvious but I guess to some it might not be if they don't know the imagery and were purely judging it on his solo work without background White Stripes knowledge.
I think it's anger towards Meg. I guess he's more ambitious than she is, but like I read in one of his interviews about Megs role in The White Stripes: ''it's more like what she leaves out than what she puts into it'' (the band). I think Jack has mixed feelings about Meg: on one hand I think he admires her because she doesn't feel the need to do ''all the things he doesn't have to do'' and on the other hand, he just finds it lazy, probably because he's so different from her that he doesn't understand why she's not more ambitious.
All of you are wrong. And I can't see why so many can easily assume it is about Meg. Jack explains in an interview with Steven Hyden that this song is about:
"That “Hip (Eponymous)” track was actually something I forced myself to go record at 5 in the morning. A melody and some lyrics I dreamed that I thought must’ve been something I saw a boy band do on MTV the day before. The story in the song is about white hipster musicianship and authenticity. The “stripes” are me talking about the flag and the American dream of profiting at any cost. The boy and girl in the song are arbitrary. I could’ve said grandma and Old Joe."
To find the interview do a google search for "Jack White isn't like you", click the first link
I completely agree! I wanted to see if anyone else caught that.
Agreed, seems glaringly obvious, not Jacks usual subtle shout outs to different ones. But IMO its not bitter. I think its accepting how things are. (I'll be happy for you, cause you got nothing to do) (Keep on stayin the same aint nobody to blame) (let the stripes unfurl)-sounds positive, like tws is still a part of what he's doing now Meg was nervous on stage and maybe he's good with that. (don't get out of your chair put a bow in your hair, you might be makin em stare) (leave the care to the poor boy)
I dont think he was making her out to be lazy, I think it's more kind of bitterness because the White Stripes had to end and it was really his baby. I doubt he's trying to be mean about it.
I got the lazy idea from the line, "Well okay you fell asleep today/ What's funny to me though is you did that yesterday." That to me does suggest that he's saying she doesn't do much and that while she's busy doing nothing he'll be doing "all those things I don't need to do."
I don't think he's really trying to start anything, but the song does come across as somewhat spiteful. I'm not saying it's a dark and mean attitude he carries around all the time, but a moment of expression and thought that occurred to him enough to write a song about it. Maybe now it's expelled!
I think you got that right. I think ''Hypocritical Kiss'' is about her as well, and in that song he says that he knows they both have their faults. He always spoke very loving of Meg, he also often said what he admired about her. I can't imagine he really doesn't like her anymore.
I think you got that right. I think ''Hypocritical Kiss'' is about her as well, and in that song he says that he knows they both have their faults. He always spoke very loving of Meg, he also often said what he admired about her. I can't imagine he really doesn't like her anymore.
You guys are so stupid It's about him pushing forward through life even though others have tried to keep him down and how no matter what he does he seem the same to others NOTHING TO DO WITH MEG! Also hypocritical kiss is about his last white Karen Blunderbuss has been can his "divorce album"
Meg has an anxiety disorder . This is his reaction to it. I think he was trying to cover that up in the interview you refer to. Maybe he regrets exposing meg in this song the way he did.