Released Late 2002 Recorded Early 2001 | Format CD Length 2:28 | |
Genre Folk rock, Acoustic rock | ||
"We're Going to Be Friends" is a promotional single by the American alternative rock band White Stripes from their album White Blood Cells. It was released in late 2002, and tells the story of meeting a new friend at the beginning of a school year. Through its lyrics, it is able to evoke the simplicity of childhood, in which the narrator is worried only by school and making friends.
Contents
Lyrics
"Suzy Lee," who is mentioned in the song in "We're Going to Be Friends", makes recurring appearances in White Stripes' discography, including in their eponymous album, which includes the song "Suzy Lee", as well as on Get Behind Me Satan, which is dedicated to Suzy Lee, "Wherever she may be..."
Video
The video features Jack White playing the guitar on a couch and Meg White sleeping alongside him. Jack wakes Meg as the song ends. The cover of the single is a still from the video.
In popular culture
Featured in the opening credits of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite, writer/director Jared Hess commented that originally, they couldn't find the song they were looking for, but wanted to use "We're Going to Be Friends", so a copy of Napoleon Dynamite was sent to The White Stripes, who promptly approved the song's use in the film. Singer-songwriter Jack Johnson recorded a cover of the song on his album Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George. In 2008–2009, it was used in a promo for PBS Kids. Bright Eyes covered the song with guest First Aid Kit for the charity album Cool for School: For the Benefit of the Lunchbox Fund.
This song was also played at the end of an episode of House entitled "Mirror Mirror", which aired October 30, 2007. The song is not included in the show's soundtrack.
This is one of Conan O'Brien's favorite songs by The White Stripes, and at his request, they performed it on the final episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien on February 20, 2009.
The song is also featured in the Life in Pieces episode "Sexting Mall Lemonade Heartbreak".
Track listing
All songs by The White Stripes unless otherwise noted
CD promo
- "We're Going to Be Friends"