Interpretive Theory: The Big Three Killed My Baby by The White Stripes

Interpretive Theory: The Big Three Killed My Baby by The White Stripes

Lyrics to The Big Three Killed My Baby  (Copyright Peppermint Stripe Music BMI)

Chorus:

the big three killed my baby 
no money in my hand again
the big three killed my baby
nobody’s comin home again

Verse One:

their ideas make me wanna spit
a hundred dollars goes down the pit
thirty-thousand wheels a rollin
and my stick shift hands are swollen
everything involved is shady
the big three killed my baby yeah yeah yeah

Verse Two:

why don’t cha take the day off and try to repair
a billion others don't seem to care
better ideas are stuck in the mud
the motor's runnin on tucker's blood
don’t let 'em tell you the future's electric
cuz gasoline not measured in metric
thirty-thousand wheels a spinnin
and oil company faces are grinnin
and now my hands are turnin red 
and I found out my baby is dead yeah yeah yeah

Verse Three:

well I’ve said it now 
nothings changed
people are burnin for pocket change
and creative minds are lazy
and the big three killed my baby yeah yeah yeah
and my baby's my common sense
so don’t feed me planned obsolescence
and my baby's my common sense

Outro:

yeah I'm about to have another blow out (2x)

Meanings:

Social change according to the Interpretive Theory is based on the symbolic nature of our society. According to Harper and Leicht, “Society is literally a social construction that is the outcome of the historical process of symbolic interaction and negotiation between social actors, both individual and corporate.” (2007, p.57) The “negotiation” could be a number of things including agreeing with the meaning of current symbols or disagreeing with that meaning. Change emerges when these meanings cause the actors to look at the situation differently and then redefine the nature of the symbols. (Harper & Leicht, 2007) According to Interpretive theorists “meaningful change does not occur automatically… but rather when people redefine situations regarding those conditions, and alter social behavior accordingly.” (Harper & Leicht, 2007, p.58) There are three frames of reference that must be developed before change can occur. These include a commonality of interests, definition of the situation that needs a change, and the responsible party. (Harper & Leicht, 2007)

In the song by The White Stripes called The Big Three Killed My Baby there is a call for social change concerning the American automobile industry. The group lived in Detroit, Michigan during the 1990’s- 2000’s as the automobile industry was failing. (Detroit’s Nine Lives) They watched the decline of “The Big Three”, the three main auto makers of America: General Motors, Ford, and Chevrolet.  The title of the song “The Big Three Killed My Baby” defines the “responsible party” called to make the social change. The defining call for change is hinted early in the lyrics “everything involved is shady”, but is truly defined at the end of the song when Jack White demands “don’t feed me planned obsolescence”. (Peppermint Stripe Music BMI) The obsolescence is referring to the fact that The Big Three auto makers “delayed in making alternative energy vehicles.” (Amadeo, 2000, Dec. 31).

Apathy for The Big Three companies’ lack of change is stated when lyrically Jack White sings: “a billion others don’t seem to care”. The song then describes the way that the companies stole ideas from Tucker, an innovator in the car industry in the late 1940’s: “the motor's runnin on tucker's blood”. (Peppermint Stripe Music BMI) Tucker created a car in 1948 that had seatbelts and aerodynamics for fuel efficiency, but was forced out of the business by “The Big Three”. However, these same companies have made those things standard on the products that are produced today. (1948 Tucker) It seems that the companies understood that change was needed and changed their “behavior accordingly” by adding these safety features as standard. (Harper & Leicht, 2007, p.58) The line “creative minds are lazy” refers to how the companies used Tucker’s ideas as their own. (Peppermint Stripe Music BMI)

Jack White tries to get “actors” to look at the situation differently by the lines:

“Don’t let 'em tell you the future's electric
cuz gasoline not measured in metric
thirty-thousand wheels a spinnin
and oil company faces are grinning”. (Peppermint Stripe Music BMI)

The electric car was a popular item back in the early 20^th century, however experienced a decline when oil supplies were plentiful.(Romero, 2009, Jan. 13) This was due to the oil companies putting pressure on “The Big Three” companies to produce vehicles that used gasoline. (Amadeo, 2000, Dec. 31) “The five largest oil companies that produce in the United States have enjoyed profits of 464 Billion” (Public Citizen) dollars in the past year alone, “oil company faces are grinning” indeed.

There is hope for the future and the electric car. Chevrolet has introduced the Volt which is a hybrid, an electric and gas powered vehicle. The Tesla Roadster, priced at $90,000, is a completely electric powered vehicle, but priced well out of reach for the average American Citizen. (Romero, 2009, Jan. 13) Change is happening, but only after failure and a bailout of “The Big Three” auto makers. (Amadeo, 2000, Dec. 31)

Reference:

1948 Tucker Retrieved on May 9, 2011 from http://www.laubly.com/1948tucker.htm

Amadeo, K. 2000, Dec.31. The Auto Bailout. About.com Retrieved on May 9, 2011 from http://useconomy.about.com/od/criticalssues/a/auto_bailout.htm

“Detroit’s Nine Lives” 2004, Sept 2 The Economist Retrieved on May 9, 2011 from http://www.economist.com/node/3127288?story_id=3127288

Harper, C.L. & Leicht, K.T. (2007). Exploring social change: America and the World (5th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Public Citizen SKYROCKETING GASOLINE PRICES AND RECORD OIL COMPANY PROFITS: NO COINCIDENCE Retrieved on May 9, 2011 from http://www.citizen.org/cmep/article_redirect.cfm?ID=13912

 

Romero, F. (2009, Jan. 13). A Brief History of the Electric Car. Time. Retrieved on May 10, 2011 from http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1871282,00.html

 

The White Stripes. (2002) The Big Three Killed My Baby. The White Stripes. Peppermint Stripe Music BMI.

http://youtu.be/ht64qlnOus8