Icky Thump (song)

"Icky Thump" is a song written and recorded by The White Stripes. It is the first single released from their sixth album of the same name.

The single was made available online through the United States and Canada iTunes Store on Thursday, April 26, 2007. The digital download has been available since June 4. The single debuted at #28 in the United States, making it not only the highest charting White Stripes single, but also their first Top 40 appearance.

The music video for "Icky Thump" premiered on AOL.com at midnight EDT on May 23, 2007. The video was co-directed by Jack White and the Malloy Brothers.

The video was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, though it is set in Mexico. The video also features Spanish subtitles acting as a translation of the lyrics.

Immigration appears to be a theme of both the song's lyrics and video, as seen in the excerpt "White Americans, what? / Nothing better to do? / Why don't you kick yourself out / You're an immigrant too?" and at the end of the video where Jack stumbles past the construction site of the fictitious "Great Wall of Mexico."

The name of the track comes from the Northern England exclamation, "Ecky Thump." The title was then changed to "Icky" so that "teenagers would understand it better" back in America, "in the same way Led Zeppelin took out the 'a' so kids wouldn't called them 'Lead Zeppelin' (pronounced 'leed')"

Third Man Records/XL Recordings will also be releasing CD and vinyl versions of the "Icky Thump" single on June 11 in the UK.

Lyrics have been made available on the White Stripes' official website.

Track listings
White vinyl 7" (companion to the NME-distributed record that was given away with copies of the magazine on stands June 6)
 * 1) "Icky Thump"
 * 2) Etching (no audio)

Standard 7"
 * 1) "Icky Thump"
 * 2) "Baby Brother"

Promo CD Single
 * 1) "Icky Thump" [Radio Edit]
 * 2) "Icky Thump" [Album Version]

CD single
 * 1) "Icky Thump"
 * 2) "Catch Hell Blues"