On June 7, 2005, The White Stripes took a leap into uncharted musical territory with Get Behind Me Satan. Gone were the raw guitar riffs of Elephant—in their place came marimbas, grand pianos, mandolins, and a poetic sense of experimentation. Jack and Meg White created something intimate and expansive, a sonic detour wrapped in mystery, metaphor, and marimba.
From Jack’s living room in Detroit came a Grammy-winning album that continues to surprise, delight, and inspire listeners two decades later. To celebrate, here are 5 things you might not know about Get Behind Me Satan:
1. It Was Recorded in Jack White’s Living Room
This Grammy-winning album wasn’t born in a fancy studio. Jack and Meg recorded it at home in Indian Village, Detroit, using a vintage 8-track tape machine and just six microphones. They even rented a Steinway grand piano to get that full-bodied sound. The whole thing was finished in under two weeks.
2. “Blue Orchid” Was Written and Released in Just Six Weeks
Jack White has called “Blue Orchid” the song that saved the album. It was the last song written and brought everything into focus. That urgent energy carried over to its release—it hit radio just six weeks after it was written and became one of the band’s biggest hits.
3. “The Nurse” Features a Happy Accident
That spooky marimba track? It almost didn’t make it. Jack was unsure about the wild, crashing drums and guitar that were added to cover a tape splice error. But after playing the mix for Brendan Benson, who called it “some Brian Wilson shit,” Jack was sold.
4. Meg White Has a Lead Vocal Moment
“Passive Manipulation” is a short and haunting tune, and it’s sung entirely by Meg White. The track runs less than a minute and delivers one of the album’s most memorable and lyrical moments—from a woman’s point of view, no less.
5. The Album Wasn’t Released on Vinyl Until 2015
Even with its success, Get Behind Me Satan didn’t get a commercial vinyl release for a full decade. Jack wanted to re-record a live version of the album specifically for vinyl, but it never came together. It finally arrived for Record Store Day 2015—on red and white wax, of course.
From its lyrical odes to truth and Rita Hayworth, to its playful embrace of marimba and mandolin, Get Behind Me Satan stands as a bold and beautiful chapter in the story of The White Stripes. It’s an album that invites you to listen closer, dance differently, and see the world through a red, white, and piano-tinted lens.
Happy anniversary, Satan. You’ve still got us under your spell.