What does ‘Icky Thump’ mean?

• Robert Irwin will dance a Paso Doble to The White Stripes’ ‘Icky Thump.’
• The 2007 song has a hidden meaning.
• ‘DWTS’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night will feature performances of famous inductees’ songs.
  

Robert Irwin will take to the Dancing with the Stars ballroom to celebrate Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night with a song that has a surprising hidden meaning.

Irwin will dance a Paso Doble alongside his pro partner, Witney Carson, to “Icky Thump.” The 2007 song was written and performed by The White Stripes.

“Icky Thump” is an English phrase. The band’s singer and songwriter, Jack White, told Rolling Stone, “It’s actually ‘ecky thump,’ a Northern English phrase meaning, ‘What the heck?’” White reportedly learned it from his ex-wife, Karen Elson.

The song is significant to The White Stripes‘ legacy for two reasons. One, it was the last time a song by Meg White and her brother Jack, as The White Stripes, hit the charts. Second, it was the band’s first openly political song. According to Genius lyrics, “Icky Thump” is a commentary on immigration.

Music Radar reprinted commentary from White’s 2007 Total Guitar interview, where he discussed the song. “There’s this quote from Bob Dylan where he pointed out that you can be heavily involved or interested in a topic without necessarily being political. ‘Icky Thump’ is a song about a set of characters and the question of who is using whom in a particular situation.”

The White Stripes: Icky Thump was the band’s final studio LP. It won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2008, according to NME.