Sunday, January 31, 2010

I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself

Jack White’s choice to cover the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself is an odd one, but it works (perhaps it’s not that unusual, as the White Stripes list Cole Porter and Loretta Lynn among their influences on their Facebook page). Sure, it’s not as good as the classic Dusty Springfield or Dionne Warwick versions, but it’s different...grittier with heavy guitar, and ultimately, less desperate, which is, I suppose, what Jack intended. The song was released as a single in 2003 and can be found on the excellent White Stripes album Elephant

Here's the Youtube video for the song (directed by Sofia Coppola), though it's difficult to focus on the song with Kate Moss dancing

1 comment:

  1. Wow. Thanks for posting this. I had no idea there was a video for this track. I really like this version, although I agree that there are "more classic" versions. It's not an easy song to sing (believe me: this is not a good "hey I'm drunk and I bet I can do a great karaoke version of this!" choice), so anyone who can do a passable version gets snaps in my book. My favorite recording is Tommy Hunt's, but Isaac Hayes made an interesting one, too.

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