Little Acorns

Lyrics Information

[Mort Crim:]
when problems overwhelm us
and sadness smothers us
where do we find the will
and the courage to continue?
well, the answer may come in the caring voice of a friend
a chance encounter with a book
or from a personal faith
for janet help came from her faith
but it also came from a squirrel
shortly after her divource
janet lost her father
then she lost her job
she had mounting money problems
but janet not only survived
she worked her way out of dispondencey
and now she says life is good again
how could this happen?
she told me that late one autumn day
when she was at her lowest
she watched a squirrle storing up nuts for the winter
one at a time he would take them to the nest
and she thought
if that squirrel can take care of himself
with the harsh winter coming on
so can I
once I broke my problems into small pieces
I was able to carry them
just like those acorns
one at a time

take all your problems
and rip 'em apart
oh oh oh oh oh
carry them off
in a shopping cart
oh oh oh oh oh
another thing you
should've known from the start
oh oh oh oh oh
the problems in hand
are lighter than at heart
oh oh oh oh oh oh

be like the squirrel girl
be like the squirrel
oh oh oh oh oh
give it a whirl girl
be like the squirrel
oh oh oh oh oh
and another thing
you have to know in this world
oh oh oh oh oh
cut up your hair
straighten your curls
well, your problems hide in your curls

oh oh oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh
oh oh oh
oh oh

Performed by The White Stripes
Written by Jack White
(Peppermint Stripe Music, BMI)
BMI # 6406568

Releases

  • Elephant
Quotes

Jack White:

    "My brother, who works at a radio commercial distribution place, had been bringing around tapes for me to record on. I was recording a piano melody and when I played it back it had this guy speaking on the other track. Totally accidental, I based a song around his story. He's actually a famous news anchorman in Detroit, Mort Crim. I thought he'd hate it. He loved it."
Jack White:
    "For those of you not in the Detroit area, Mort Crim is the local newscaster on our NBC affiliate. He's about 170 years old and sits across from Carmen Harlan saying Detroit ain't so bad then tells us about the 5 year old girl that got caught in the middle of a gang related shoot out."
Notes