View source for We're Going to Be Friends

{{Infobox song
| name       = We're Going to Be Friends
| cover      = We're Going To Be Friends.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = [[Promotional single]]
| artist     = [[The White Stripes]]
| album      = [[White Blood Cells (album)|White Blood Cells]]
| released   = 2002
| recorded   = February 2001<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whitestripes.net/articles-show.php?id=04|title=Sister? Lover? An Interview with The White Stripes|last=Maerz|first=Jennifer|date=June 5, 2001|website=whitestripes.net|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611223108/http://www.whitestripes.net/articles-show.php?id=04|archive-date=June 11, 2010|access-date=February 4, 2023}}</ref><ref name="metro">{{cite news |last=Giannini |first=Melissa |date=May 29, 2001 |title=The Sweet Twist of Success |newspaper=[[Metro Times]] |publisher=Times-Shamrock Communications |url=http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=1856 |access-date=February 4, 2011}}</ref>
| studio     = [[Easley-McCain Recording]], [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Tennessee]]
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Folk rock]], [[acoustic rock]], [[children’s music]]
| length     = 2:28
| label      = [[V2 Records]]
| writer     = Jack White
| producer   = [[Jack White]]
| prev_title = [[Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground]]
| prev_year  = 2002
| next_title = [[Red Death at 6:14]]
| next_year  = 2002
| misc       = {{External music video|{{YouTube|PKfD8d3XJok|"We're Going to Be Friends"}}}}
}}
"'''We're Going to Be Friends'''" is a song by American [[alternative rock]] band [[The White Stripes|White Stripes]] from their album ''[[White Blood Cells (album)|White Blood Cells]].'' It was released in 2002 and tells the story of meeting a new friend at the beginning of a school year.
==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 [[The White Stripes (album)|eponymous album]], which includes the song "[[Suzy Lee (song)|Suzy Lee]]", as well as on ''[[Get Behind Me Satan]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://everyjackwhitesong.blogspot.com/2009/07/7-suzy-lee.html |title=#7 Suzy Lee |author=SARO |date=July 20, 2009 |website=everyjackwhitesong.blogspot.com |publisher=[[Blogspot.com]] |access-date=August 20, 2016 }}</ref> which is dedicated to Suzy Lee, "Wherever she may be..."
==Themes==
The song speaks of a girl and boy who become friends while engaging in activities in and out of school.  [[AllMusic]] said the song "takes a nostalgic look back at the innocence of school days with a surprisingly sensitive vocal as [Jack] expertly paints impressions of days past with deft economy."<ref name="Maginnis"/>
==Music video==
The video features [[Jack White|Jack]] and [[Meg White]] on a couch in front of Jack's house at night time. Jack is playing a guitar, while Meg is sleeping alongside him. Jack wakes Meg as the song ends. The cover of the single is a still from the video.
The video was shot in one take after the band had finished shooting for the video for the song "[[Hotel Yorba]]".
==Reception==
[[Tom Maginnis]] with [[AllMusic]] called the song a "sweet acoustic ballad,"<ref name="Maginnis">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/were-going-to-be-friends-mt0028650980|title=Song Review by Tom Maginnis|last=Maginnis|first=Tom |work=AllMusic|access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref> and ''[[NME (magazine)|NME]]'' called it "[[wiktionary:fey|fey]] childhood-sweetheart folk."<ref name="nme">{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/reviews-the-white-stripes-5913#o7gzwrVt86RhqSQH.99|title=The White Stripes : White Blood Cells|author=NME staff|website=NME|access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref> ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' said it was "the album's most shocking track."<ref name="phipps">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/review/the-white-stripes-emwhite-blood-cellsem-18355|title=The White Stripes: White Blood Cells|last=Phipps|first=Keith |date=Jul 3, 2001|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref>
==In popular culture==
Featured in the opening credits of the 2004 film ''[[Napoleon Dynamite]]'', writer/director [[Jared Hess]] commented that, originally, they could not 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-07 |title=The White Stripes hit that was actually a sequel song |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-white-stripes-sequel-song/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Angela |date=2019-01-18 |title=Forever Young: 'Napoleon Dynamite' Turns 15 |url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/forever-young-napoleon-dynamite-turns-15/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Film School Rejects |language=en-US}}</ref> It was the first film to feature a White Stripes song.<ref>''Napoleon Dynamite'' DVD audio commentary</ref>
Singer-songwriter [[Jack Johnson (musician)|Jack Johnson]] recorded a cover of the song on his album ''[[Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George]]''. From around 2006 or 2007 up until 2009, it was used in a promo for [[PBS Kids]].{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} [[Bright Eyes (band)|Bright Eyes]] covered the song with guest [[First Aid Kit (band)|First Aid Kit]] for the charity album ''Cool for School: For the Benefit of the Lunchbox Fund''.<ref name="coverme">{{cite web|title=Listen: Bright Eyes and First Aid Kit Cover the White Stripes to Benefit South Africa|url=http://www.covermesongs.com/2011/10/listen-bright-eyes-and-first-aid-kit-cover-the-white-stripes-to-benefit-south-africa.html|website=Cover Me|access-date=13 November 2017|date=4 October 2011}}</ref>
This song was also played at the end of the ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' episode entitled "[[Mirror Mirror (House)|Mirror Mirror]]", which aired October 30, 2007, although the song is not included in the show's soundtrack.  The song is also featured in the ''[[Life in Pieces]]'' episode "Sexting Mall Lemonade Heartbreak".  CBS included a song in commercials for its 2006 program ''The Class'' that resembled the tune of "We're Going to Be Friends."<ref name=B&C>{{cite journal|last=Topcik|first=Joel |date=August 14, 2006|title=Connecticut Candidate's Cable Connection|journal=Broadcasting & Cable|volume=136 |issue=32|pages=5}}</ref> When magazine ''[[Broadcasting & Cable]]'' reached out to [[Monotone Management]] (the management company of the band at the time), the company declined to comment, but indicated that the band was aware of the song and were not pleased.<ref name=B&C/>  In subsequent commercials, CBS used a different song.<ref name=B&C/>
This song was featured in the 2017 film ''[[Wonder (film)|Wonder]]''. The film used two versions of the song, the original version performed by the White Stripes and a cover version performed by [[Caroline Pennell]].
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.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYDX2cu_3sI |title="We're Going to Be Friends" White Stripes on last Late night with Conan O'Brien |date=2023-01-28 |last=Anita Schvitz |access-date=2024-05-30 |via=YouTube}}</ref> A portion of the song is also the opening theme to his podcast, ''[[Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend]]''.
The song was featured on episode 5 ("The Jen Show") of the British show ''[[Extraordinary_(TV_series)#Episodes|Extraordinary]]''.
The song was also played during Season 7 Episode 2 of the [[Adult Swim]] animated series ''[[Rick and Morty]]'' titled "[[Rick and Morty (season 7)#Episodes|The Jerrick Trap]]", as well as being the end credits song of that episode.
==Track listing==
{{listen|filename=We're Going to be Friends.ogg|title="We're Going to be Friends"|description="We're Going to be Friends" by The White Stripes.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
''All songs by The White Stripes unless otherwise noted''
===CD promo===
#"We're Going to Be Friends"
==Children's book adaptation==
{{Infobox book
| italic title   = no
| name           = We're Going to Be Friends
| image          = WAGTBF children's book.jpg
| image_size     =
| alt            =
| caption        =
| author         = Jack White
| audio_read_by  =
| title_orig     =
| illustrator    = Elinor Blake
| cover_artist   =
| country        = United States
| language       =
| series         =
| release_number =
| subject        =
| genre          = Children's literature
| set_in         =
| publisher      = Third Man Books
| pub_date       = November 7, 2017
| english_pub_date =
| published      =
| media_type     =
| pages          =
| awards         =
| isbn           = 9780996401692
| isbn_note      =
| notes          =
| exclude_cover  =
| website        =https://www.thirdmanbooks.com/catalog/were-going-to-be-friends
}}
In May 2017, [[Third Man Records]] announced a children's book based on the single to be released on November 21, 2017, shortly after The White Stripes’ 20th anniversary.<ref name="avclub">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/article/jack-white-turning-were-going-be-friends-childrens-255669|title=Jack White is turning "We're Going To Be Friends" into a children's book|last=Hughes|first=William|date=May 19, 2017|work=The A.V. Club|access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref> The book became available on November 7, 2017 for pre-release events and limited distribution.<ref name="TMBWGTBF"/> It was illustrated by [[Elinor Blake]],<ref name="avclub"/> an illustrator and animator for shows such as ''[[The Ren and Stimpy Show]]'' and ''[[Pee-wee's Playhouse]]''.<ref name="TMBWGTBF">{{cite web|title=We're Going to be Friends |url=https://www.thirdmanbooks.com/catalog/were-going-to-be-friends |website=Third Man Books |access-date=15 November 2017}}</ref> The book came with a digital copy of the original song and a cover version performed by The [[Woodstation Elementary School]] Singers,<ref name="avclub"/> as well as a cover by [[April March]].<ref name="TMBWGTBF"/>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.whitestripes.net/faq.php#wgtbfpromo White Stripes.Net FAQ].  Retrieved September 17.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090223061236/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/02/20/white-stripes-final-late-night-gig-conan-obrien-on-special-relationship-with-jack-and-meg rollingstone.com]
{{The White Stripes}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:2002 singles]]
[[Category:The White Stripes songs]]
[[Category:Folk rock songs]]
[[Category:Songs about friendship]]
[[Category:2001 songs]]
[[Category:V2 Records singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jack White]]