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Cover of Icky Thump by The White Stripes — Cover: Icky Thump

Song · The White Stripes

“You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told)” by The White Stripes

From the album Icky Thump (2007)

“You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told)” by The White Stripes appears on 18 radio countdowns from 16 stations between 2007 and 2009. It was first released in 2007 on the album Icky Thump. Its best result is #22 on The End Top 107 Songs of 2007. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #21 alternative song of 2007 and #394 of the '00s.

18countdowns

16stations

#22best position

0#1 finishes

0top 10 finishes

2007–2009years charted

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The White Stripes - You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) (Official Music Video)

Video from YouTube (The White Stripes). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told)" sits second on Icky Thump, the White Stripes' sixth studio album, and it came together fast: the basic tracks went down on January 14, 2007, with overdubs the following day. Jack White wrote and produced it, recorded it with Joe Chiccarelli, Lowell Reynolds assisting, and mixed it with Chiccarelli.

It's garage rock with its heart in the right place, a guy begging a friend to walk away from a relationship that's gone stormy, with a snarl in its step. The duo first played it live in Calgary on June 29, 2007, and Warner Bros. and XL put it out as a single that September, with a 7-inch following the CD. The Malloys directed the video.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
2007	102	KROQ Los Angeles, CA	KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2007	107
2007	44	91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana	91X Top 91 Songs of 2007	91
2007	60	Live 105 San Francisco, CA	Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 2007	106
2007	46	Q101 Chicago, IL	Q101 Top 101 Songs of 2007	101
2007	37	WFNX Boston, MA	WFNX Top 100 Songs of 2007	100
2007	22	107.7 The End Seattle, WA	The End Top 107 Songs of 2007	107
2007	42	89X Detroit, MI / Windsor, ON	89X Top 89 Songs of 2007	89
2007	43	CD101 Columbus, OH	CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2007	101
2007	56	CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON	102.1 The Edge Top 102 Songs of 2007	102
2007	50	CHOI Radio X Quebec City, QC	CHOI Top 101 Songs of 2007	101
2007	30	KWOD Sacramento, CA	KWOD Top 106 Songs of 2007	106
2007	34	WBER Rochester, NY	WBER Listener Countdown 2007	129
2007	85	88.3 The Sting Cleveland, OH	88.3 The Sting WBWC Top 88 Songs of 2007	88
2007	34	102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany)	WEQX Top 102.7 of 2007	103
2007	93	WXPN Philadelphia, PA	WXPN Year in Review: Top 100 Songs of 2007	100
2008	95	Live 105 San Francisco, CA	Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 2008	105
2008	69	CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON	102.1 The Edge's Top 102 Songs of 2008	102

All-time and decade countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
2009	509	WYEP	WYEP 913 Songs That Matter from the Last Decade	913

Also listed as: You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You're Told); You Don't Know What Love Is; You Don't Know What Love Is (you Just Do as You're Told); You Don't Know What Love Is…; You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told).

Charting alongside it in 2007

Best songs of 2007 →

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