FUSE TV - Jack White: "Meg Was Behind White Stripes Split"

Although his comments about the future of the White Stripes were rather curt last month—he said they would never reunite barring bankruptcy—Jack White recently clarified his feelings toward the dissolution of the garage rock duo in an interview with the New York Times.

According to the pale-faced guitar master, breaking up the Stripes wasn't his decision. “There came a point where I said [to Meg], ‘If we’re not doing this, we need to put an end to it right now.’ And that’s what she wanted to do.”

“I’d make a White Stripes record right now," White told the Times. "I’d be in the White Stripes for the rest of my life. That band is the most challenging, important, fulfilling thing ever to happen to me. I wish it was still here. It’s something I really, really miss.”

As someone who thinks the White Stripes were easily the best band of the 2000s, it's really depressing for me to hear Jack say he would have been up for a lifetime of White Striping under different circumstances. And given that he told NME last month that there's "absolutely no chance" of a reunion, I doubt he'll be changing his mind.

When asked for specifics on the band's breakup, White deferred to his former bandmate.

"You’d have to ask [Meg]. I don’t know what her reasons are. Having a conversation with Meg, you don’t really get any answers. I’m lucky that girl ever got onstage, so I’ll take what I can get."

Gahhh! We could have had another three or four decades of White Stripes music! But given White's comment and Meg's acute anxiety (the reason they canceled tour dates in 2007), perhaps we should just feel lucky we got six stone cold classics out of the duo.

What do you think? Is it best they went out on a high note, or would you rather they'd rolled the dice and given us more? Tell us below while listening to this scorching version of one of their best tracks, "Black Math." And check out Jack White's Gummo-meets-Napoleon Dynamite video for his solo single "Sixteen Saltines" right here.