A Martyr for My Love for You

In August 2007, Guitar World asked Jack White if this song, which has the narrator pining for a leggy teen girl, was his contribution to the great genre of jailbait song. White answered: "I don't know, because I'm not sure who that character is. How old is he, the guy who's singing? Maybe he's 16 just like the girl." Jack White added: "The main idea is that the guy is going to make a sacrifice and not ever explore the idea of having a relationship with the girl, 'cause he knows it's going to end up anyway. What if we were smart as to do that in real life? Most people, when they start a relationship don't say, 'Oh come on, we know how this is is going to end. Let's not even bother.' The idea is, what's the difference between negativity and realism? They're very close. A lot of things I say sound realistic in my mind, but to other people they may sound very negative."