The Big Three Killed My Baby

"The Big Three Killed My Baby" was released in March 1999 as a 7" single and is the third track on re-releases of The White Stripes, the eponymous debut of the Detroit-based American garage rock band The White Stripes. A live recording of the song is featured on Under Blackpool Lights; the band's first official DVD release. The single is backed with "Red Bowling Ball Ruth".

"The Big Three" refers to the three major automakers in the 1950s and 1960s: Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. The song is an attack on these companies, relating to the engineering technique of planned obsolescence, and a short-sighted lack of innovation. Jack White has stated in interviews that he does not believe music to be a viable medium for political messages and until the 2007 release of "Icky Thump" (which criticizes American immigration policy) it was the White Stripes' only political song of note. The song mentions "Tucker's blood", a reference to Preston Tucker's ill-fated Tucker 48. More recently, The White Stripes have performed the song live with alternate lyrics referring to the Iraq War: "Bush's hands are turning red... and I found out your baby is dead."^[1]

The photo that the band is standing in front of on the single's cover has a note on it, which reads "Insert your money here", a reference to the costs of maintaining automobiles which are intentionally engineered to become prematurely obsolete.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Big Three Killed My Baby"	2:29
2.	"Red Bowling Ball Ruth"	2:05

References

↑ The White Stripes FAQ

White Stripes.net FAQ. Retrieved June 11, 2009.

The White Stripes

Jack White Meg White

Studio albums	The White Stripes (1999) De Stijl (2000) White Blood Cells (2001) Elephant (2003) Get Behind Me Satan (2005) Icky Thump (2007)

Live albums	Under Great White Northern Lights Live in Mississippi

Video albums	Under Blackpool Lights Under Great White Northern Lights / Under Nova Scotian Lights

Singles	"Let's Shake Hands" "Lafayette Blues" "The Big Three Killed My Baby" "Hand Springs" "Hello Operator" "Lord, Send Me an Angel" "Party of Special Things to Do" "Hotel Yorba" "Fell in Love with a Girl" "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" "We're Going to Be Friends" "Red Death at 6:14" "Walking with a Ghost" "Candy Cane Children" "Seven Nation Army" "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" "The Hardest Button to Button" "There's No Home for You Here" "Jolene (Live Under Blackpool Lights)" "Blue Orchid" "My Doorbell" "The Denial Twist" "Icky Thump" "Rag and Bone" "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told)" "Conquest"

Other songs	"300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues" "Ball and Biscuit" "Suzy Lee"

Related articles	Discography Songs Awards and nominations The Raconteurs The Dead Weather The Upholsterers The Go Two-Star Tabernacle Aluminium Italy Records Sympathy for the Record Industry Third Man Records

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