Cover art for On and On and On by Jack White

On and On and On

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Apr. 23, 20121 viewer18.4K views

On and On and On Lyrics

[Verse 1]
The sun and the moon never change
They just rearrange, the night and the new day
Gold exchanges for silver
And a light on a river gets carried away

[Chorus]
On and on, on and on
On and on, on and on

[Verse 2]
I lift up my head and I wonder
Just who it is calming, callin' my name now
I trip on my way and I blunder
My head fallin' under a blanket of shame

[Chorus]
On and on, on and on
On and on, on and on

[Bridge]
High and low may I go
But God only knows just where I am going
High and low may I go
But God only knows just where I am going
[Verse 3]
The people around me won't let me
Become what I need to, they want me the same
I look at myself and I want to
Just cover my eyes and give myself a new name

[Verse 4]
The stones in the sky never worry
They don't have to hurry, they move in their own way
But I have to choose what to do
How to act, what to think, how to talk, what to say

[Chorus]
On and on, on and on
On and on, on and on

[Outro]
On and on, on and on
On and on, on and on
On and on, on and on
On and on, on and on

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About

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Genius Annotation

This mellow reflection on the monotony of daily life, amplified by the pressure of trying to meet expectations set by others, “On and On and On” is a standout among its more upbeat Blunderbuss counterparts like “Sixteen Saltines,” “Freedom at 21,” or “I’m Shakin'.”

White said to NME regarding the song’s meaning:

“There’s this character who’s jealous of inanimate objects, a rock and the moon and the sun, because they don’t have to change, they don’t have to alter what they are, they just are and that’s it.”

Q&A

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Credits
Produced By
Written By
Upright Bass
Lead Vocals
Acoustic Guitar
Pedal Steel Guitar
Mixed By [Assisted By]
Photography By
Recorded By
Recorded By (Assistant)
Copyright (c)
Designed At
Distributed By
Manufactured by
Phonographic Copyright (p)
Recorded At
Third Man Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Release Date
April 23, 2012
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