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Fell in Love with a Girl

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"Fell in Love with a Girl"
Single by the White Stripes
from the album White Blood Cells
ReleasedJanuary 21, 2002 (2002-01-21)
RecordedFebruary 2001
StudioEasley-McCain Recording (Memphis, Tennessee)
Genre
Length1:50
Label
Composer(s)Jack White, Meg White
Lyricist(s)Jack White
Producer(s)Jack White
The White Stripes singles chronology
"Hotel Yorba"
(2001) 		"Fell in Love with a Girl"
(2002) 		"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"
(2002)
Music video
"Fell in Love with a Girl" on YouTube

"Fell in Love with a Girl" is a song by the American rock duo the White Stripes and the fourth track on their third studio album, White Blood Cells (2001). It was released in January 2002 by XL Recordings. The lyrics were written by Jack White, and the music was composed by the band.

"Fell in Love with a Girl" was praised by critics and fans for its upbeat sound and confidence. The song became their first entries on the Alternative Airplay, Bubbling Under Hot 100, and UK singles charts, and was certified gold in the United Kingdom. It was bolstered by the success of its music video, directed by Michel Gondry, which won three awards at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.

"Fell in Love with a Girl" helped the White Stripes enter the mainstream. It is considered a staple of the band's discography and a seminal work of the garage rock revival of the 2000s. In January 2004, English singer Joss Stone released a cover version that charted internationally. Other artists who have covered or remixed the song include Richard Cheese and "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Recording

[edit]

Before writing and composing "Fell in Love with a Girl", Jack and Meg had sought success within the Detroit music scene releasing two albums between 1999 and 2000.[1] The song was then written and composed for the White Stripes' third studio album, White Blood Cells.[2] Though some lyrics on the album consisted of material Jack White had written in the band's early years,[3][4] "Fell in Love with a Girl" was a new song penned for the record in early 2001.[5] It was recorded and mastered at Easley-McCain Recording in Memphis, Tennessee during the album's three production days;[6] Meg White was initially hesitant about rushing the recording process, believing the songs needed more practice.[7]

Composition

[edit]
Fell in Love with a Girl
Sample of "Fell in Love with a Girl"
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Fell in Love with a Girl" is an up-tempo alternative rock and garage punk song and runs for a duration of one minute and fifty seconds.[8] The song is built on a slashing rhythm guitar groove played by Jack, which is set to a high-speed, stuttering beat played by Meg White with thrashing crash cymbals and skipped snare drum patterns.[8] It is written in the time signature of common time, with a fast tempo of 192 beats per minute.[9]

The song opens with Jack singing his lines with a manic vocal delivery at loud volume. His breathless performance exudes visceral intensity and quirky, exaggerated inflections.[8] White's lyricism contains a dense slew of words laced with anxious banter and snappy humor.[8] The musical arrangement comes to an abrupt halt at the last line of each verse.[8] In substitution of a chorus, "Fell In Love with a Girl" features an infectious backing vocal line. After each verse, Jack and Meg incessantly belt a wordless sing-along composed of "ah-ah-ah-ah" harmonizing.[8]

It is composed in the key of B major, while Jack White's vocal range spans from a low of B3 to a high of A4.[9] The song has a basic sequence of B–A–D–E during the introduction and verses and follows F♯–A–D–E–F♯–A–F♯ at the refrain as its chord progression.[9]

Release

[edit]

White Blood Cells was released through the Sympathy for the Record Industry label in mid 2001,[10] but "Fell in Love with a Girl" would not receive a single release until January 21, 2002, instead by XL Recordings.[11] The track was reissued as a 7-inch vinyl record for Black Friday Record Store Day 2012 on opaque red vinyl by Third Man Records, and later issued on standard black vinyl.

Reception

[edit]

The record peaked at number 21 on both the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and the UK Singles Chart. It was also the band's first single to enter the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking at number 12. "Fell in Love with a Girl" was met with widespread critical acclaim. Comparing it to that of the Ramones, Tom Maginnis from AllMusic called it "an attention-grabbing chunk of primal punk rock confection that flames out in a breathless one minute and 50 seconds. ... Surrendering is the only option; to fight against the infectious brutal and relentless energy of "Fell in Love With a Girl" is an exercise in futility."[8]

The May 3, 2007, issue of Rolling Stone magazine listed the song as one of the forty songs that changed the world.[12] In 2011, NME placed it at number 6 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[13] The Times said that the track "mixes the blues with the Pixies."[14] The Village Voice's "Pazz & Jop critics' poll named "Fell in Love with a Girl" the sixth-best song of 2002. Paste, The Guardian, and Stereogum ranked the song number six, number three, and number two, respectively, on their lists of the greatest White Stripes songs.[15][16][17] Paste also included it on their list of "The 50 Best Garage Rock Songs of All Time".[18] Staff at Billboard ranked it one of the best rock love songs.[19]

Music video

[edit]

Background

[edit]

The music video is a Lego animation directed by Michel Gondry. Gondry's son was featured at the beginning of the video, building Lego blocks. It was shot frame by frame with each frame having the Lego bricks rebuilt, sometimes in a complex manner to seem as if it were an actual shot, and then formed together to give the illusion of motion. The video mostly consists of red, white, and black color. The White Stripes couldn't strike a deal with Lego, so they had to buy a large amount of Lego boxes for the video.[20]

In The Work of Director Michel Gondry interview, Jack also said that the White Stripes contacted the Lego Group in hopes of having a small Lego set packaged with each single of the record, with which one could build a LEGO version of Jack and Meg. The Lego Group refused, saying: "We don't market our product to people over the age of twelve."[21]

Reception

[edit]

The music video bolstered the success of the single, and received four nominations for Video of the Year, Breakthrough Video, Best Visual Effects, Best Editing at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, winning the latter three. Entertainment Weekly said that "the images enhance the lyrics...You can take the metaphor even deeper. As with Legos, love and sex can ultimately take whatever form your imagination desires."[22] Entertainment Weekly included it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "An idea so simple it's a wonder no one thought of it before 2002: rock & roll Legos!"[23] Pitchfork deemed it the best video of the decade.[24]

Track listings

[edit]
UK CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Fell in Love with a Girl"1:50
2."Let's Shake Hands"2:01
3."Lafayette Blues"2:10
7-inch single
No.TitleLength
1."Fell in Love with a Girl"1:50
2."I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself (Live at BBC Radio-1 Evening Session)"2:46

Personnel

[edit]

Personnel are taken from the UK CD1 liner notes.[25]

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2002) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[26] 38
UK Singles (OCC)[27] 21
UK Indie (OCC)[28] 2
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[29] 21
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[30] 12

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
Australia January 21, 2002
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD1
 XL [32][33]
February 25, 2002 CD2 [34]
United Kingdom
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [35]
New Zealand May 27, 2002 CD [36]

Joss Stone version

[edit]
"Fell in Love with a Boy"
Single by Joss Stone
from the album The Soul Sessions
B-side
ReleasedJanuary 12, 2004 (2004-01-12)
RecordedMay 5, 2003
StudioThe Studio (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Length3:38
Label
Songwriter(s)Jack White
Producer(s)
Joss Stone singles chronology
"Fell in Love with a Boy"
(2004) 		"Super Duper Love"
(2004)

Background

[edit]

In 2003, English singer Joss Stone covered the song, retitled "Fell in Love with a Boy", for her debut studio album, The Soul Sessions (2003). It was released in the United States on January 12, 2004, as the album's lead single.

Reception

[edit]

In the United Kingdom, a limited-edition 7-inch single and CD single were issued on January 26, 2004. "Fell in Love with a Boy" debuted and peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also peaked at number 23 in New Zealand and number 36 in Italy.

The single received mostly positive reviews from critics. Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian raved that "Fell in Love with a Boy" is the best track from The Soul Sessions as well as "the freshest and most deliciously inauthentic."[37] PopMatters reviewer Jason MacNeil commented that Stone gives the song "a groove-riddled, funky hip-shaker that never loses momentum."[38] Rolling Stone said the tune sounded like "a lost Memphis-soul classic."[39] However, Jim Greer of Entertainment Weekly viewed her version as "the only misguided ploy" on the album.[40] Andrew McGregor wrote for BBC Music that it "blends so well into the funky soul landscape that those less familiar with contemporary rock might miss the ironic juxtaposition altogether."[41]

Track listings

[edit]
  • UK and European CD single[42]
  1. "Fell in Love with a Boy" (radio version)
  2. "Victim of a Foolish Heart" (live at Ronnie Scott's, London, November 25, 2003)
  • UK limited-edition 7-inch single[43]
A. "Fell in Love with a Boy" (album version)
B. "Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' on Me?) Part 1"
  • European maxi-CD single[44]
  1. "Fell in Love with a Boy" (radio version)
  2. "Victim of a Foolish Heart" (live at Ronnie Scott's, London, November 25, 2003)
  3. "Fell in Love with a Boy" (acoustic version)

Credits

[edit]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Soul Sessions.[45]

Studios

Personnel

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2004) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[46] 16
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[47] 17
Ireland (IRMA)[48] 46
Italy (FIMI)[49] 36
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[50] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[51] 80
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[52] 23
Scotland (OCC)[53] 18
UK Singles (OCC)[54] 18
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[55] 5
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[56] 16

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States January 12, 2004 Triple A radio S-Curve [57]
United Kingdom January 26, 2004
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
[58][59]

Covers and media

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Fox, Darrin, "White Heat", Guitar Player, June 2003, p. 66
  2. ^ Maerz, Jennifer (June 5, 2001). "Sister? Lover? An Interview with The White Stripes". whitestripes.net. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  3. ^ Handyside, Chris (2004). Fell in Love with a Band: The Story of The White Stripes. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-312-33618-9.
  4. ^ Giannini, Melissa (May 29, 2001). "The Sweet Twist of Success". Metro Times. Times-Shamrock Communications. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  5. ^ Maerz, Jennifer (June 5, 2001). "Sister? Lover? An Interview with The White Stripes". Spin. ISSN 0886-3032. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  6. ^ McCollum, Brian (April 13, 2003). "A Definitive Oral History: Revealing The White Stripes". Detroit Free Press. Gannett. ISSN 1055-2758. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  7. ^ McCollum, Brian (April 13, 2003). "A Definitive Oral History: Revealing The White Stripes". Detroit Free Press. Gannett. ISSN 1055-2758. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Maginnis, Tom. "The White Stripes – Fell in Love With a Girl Song Review by Tom Maginnis". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c White, Jack (August 11, 2003). "The White Stripes "Fell in Love with a Girl" Guitar Tab in D Major – Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group.
  10. ^ White Blood Cells - The White Stripes | Album | AllMusic, retrieved May 12, 2024
  11. ^ Hochman, Steve (November 18, 2001). "The White Stripes Take a Unique Major-Label Road". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  12. ^ "Redirecting". archive.rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  13. ^ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". Nme.com. October 6, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  14. ^ Connolly, Paul (December 15, 2001). "Rock", The Times.
  15. ^ Williott, Carl (February 26, 2014). "The 10 Best White Stripes Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  16. ^ Petridis, Alexis (December 5, 2024). "Tall tales, campfire singalongs and Oldham slang: the White Stripes' 20 best songs – ranked!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  17. ^ Moore, Bo (February 4, 2011). "The 10 Best White Stripes Songs". Paste. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  18. ^ Stiernberg, Bonnie. "The 50 Best Garage Rock Songs of All Time". Paste. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  19. ^ Unterberger, Katie Bain,Eric Renner Brown,Anna Chan,Frank DiGiacomo,Thom Duffy,Jason Lipshutz,Joe Lynch,Rebecca Milzoff,Glenn Peoples,Isabela Raygoza,Andrew (February 11, 2025). "Staff Picks: 50 Best Rock Love Songs". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes". Songfacts.com. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  21. ^ "White Stripes - Fell in Love With a Girl (making)". November 12, 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
  22. ^ Farber, Jim April 12, 2002). "FILE UNDER...VIDEOS." Entertainment Weekly (648):77
  23. ^ Geier, Thom; Jensen, Jeff; Jordan, Tina; Lyons, Margaret; Markovitz, Adam; Nashawaty, Chris; Pastorek, Whitney; Rice, Lynette; Rottenberg, Josh; Schwartz, Missy; Slezak, Michael; Snierson, Dan; Stack, Tim; Stroup, Kate; Tucker, Ken; Vary, Adam B.; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Ward, Kate (December 11, 2009), "THE 100 Greatest MOVIES, TV SHOWS, ALBUMS, BOOKS, CHARACTERS, SCENES, EPISODES, SONGS, DRESSES, MUSIC VIDEOS, AND TRENDS THAT ENTERTAINED US OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS". Entertainment Weekly. (1079/1080):74-84
  24. ^ "Pitchfork: Staff Lists: The Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s". pitchfork.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  25. ^ Fell in Love with a Girl (UK CD1 liner notes). XL Recordings. 2002. XLS 142CD.
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  27. ^ "White Stripes: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  28. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  29. ^ "The White Stripes Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  30. ^ "The White Stripes Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  31. ^ "British single certifications – White Stripes – Fell in Love with a Girl". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  32. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 21st January 2002" (PDF). ARIA. January 21, 2002. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  33. ^ "White Stripes – Fell in Love with a Girl". Remote Control Records. Archived from the original on June 23, 2005. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  34. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 25th February 2002" (PDF). ARIA. February 25, 2002. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  35. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 25 February 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. February 23, 2002. p. 35. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  36. ^ "New Releases". netcd.co.nz. May 27, 2002. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  37. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (January 16, 2004). "CD: Joss Stone, The Soul Sessions – Music – The Guardian". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  38. ^ MacNeil, Jason (January 14, 2003). "Joss Stone: The Soul Sessions – PopMatters Music Review". PopMatters. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  39. ^ (March 18, 2004). "CHARTS", Rolling Stone. (Issue 944):84
  40. ^ Greer, Jim (October 10, 2003). "The Soul Sessions – Music Review – Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  41. ^ McGregor, Andrew (February 23, 2004). "BBC – Music – Review of Joss Stone – The Soul Sessions". BBC Music. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  42. ^ Fell in Love with a Boy (UK & European CD single liner notes). Joss Stone. Relentless Records, Virgin Records. 2004. RELCD3, 0724355394224.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  43. ^ Fell in Love with a Boy (UK limited 7-inch single sleeve). Joss Stone. Relentless Records, Virgin Records. 2004. REL 3, 0724355378576.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  44. ^ Fell in Love with a Boy (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Joss Stone. Relentless Records, Virgin Records. 2004. 724354810824.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  45. ^ The Soul Sessions (UK CD album liner notes). Joss Stone. Relentless Records. 2003. CDREL2, 7243 5 96835 2 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  46. ^ "Joss Stone – Fell in Love with a Boy" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  47. ^ "Joss Stone – Fell in Love with a Boy" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  48. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Joss Stone". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  49. ^ "Joss Stone – Fell in Love with a Boy". Top Digital Download. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  50. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 11, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  51. ^ "Joss Stone – Fell in Love with a Boy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  52. ^ "Joss Stone – Fell in Love with a Boy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  53. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  54. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  55. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  56. ^ "Joss Stone Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  57. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1537. January 9, 2004. p. 24. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  58. ^ "Joss Stone – Fell in Love with a Boy (Relentless)". Manchester Evening News. August 13, 2004. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  59. ^ "Key Releases: Singles". Music Week. January 24, 2004. p. 29.
  60. ^ "The White Stripes Add Three More Tracks To Rock Band!". March 5, 2010. Archived from the original on March 10, 2010. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  61. ^ "Of Montreal covers The White Stripes". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
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