Jack White targets Donald Trump and Elon Musk with Corporation lyric switch at concert
The former White Stripes frontman changed the lyrics of his song ‘Corporation’ to criticise Elon Musk’s involvement in US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Jack White took aim at Donald Trump and Elon Musk at a recent gig.
The former White Stripes frontman revised the opening lyric of his song ‘Corporation’ to reflect his disdain for the US President and the billionaire businessman at his concert in Boston last month.
The single, from White’s 2018 album ‘Boarding House Reach’, traditionally begins: “I’m thinking about starting a corporation. Who’s with me?” However, at Roadrunner in Boston — a stop on his ‘No Name’ world tour — he instead sang: “I was thinking about becoming an oligarch, who’s with me?”
White continued: “I was thinking about taking government subsidies and starting my own electric car company. Who’s with me? I’m thinking about not being elected. Never holding a public office. Never serving one day of military service. But somehow having the authority to control parts of the US Government. Who’s with me?”
This is a nod to Musk’s marked shift from businessman to political advisor during Trump’s second term, which began on January 20. Musk — the owner of Tesla, SpaceX and X/Twitter — has this year become one of Trump’s senior advisors and the head of the new Department of Government Efficiency, to much controversy.
White has made his feelings toward Republican Trump very clear in the past.
During the president’s first campaign in 2016, the White Stripes — who broke up in 2011 — sold shirts that read “Icky Trump”, a play on words from their song ‘Icky Thump’.
White also took to social media after the 2024 election results to express his disappointment about Trump’s win. In a lengthy caption, he called Trump a “known, obvious fascist” and “wannabe dictator”.
The musician also sued Donald Trump over his use of White Stripes' hit 'Seven Nation Army’.
The ‘No Name’ tour kicked off on December 1 in Hong Kong and will continue through May 2025, with stops in Australia, Canada, the US, the UK, and Japan.
