The White Stripes (well, presumably just Jack White) have struck out at the USAF for blatantly ripping off one of their songs in an commercial that ran during the Superbowl.
The ad, featuring a surfer riding waves to what is clearly “Fell In Love With a Girl,” has since disappeared from the Air Force Reserve site and it is unclear if that’s due to the statement the Stripes issued in response to the song-lifting. An identical statement posted on both the White Stripes’ official site and Third Man Records indicates that the song was not licensed, and the band does not approve of the unauthorized usage:
The White Stripes take strong insult and objection to the Air Force Reserve presenting this advertisement with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support.
The statement goes on to express support for the troops, but adds:
We simply don’t want to be a cog in the wheel of the current conflict, and hope for a safe and speedy return home for our troops.
The statement was particularly interesting because Meg and Jack generally don’t make statements about their political views, and have stated before that such opinions are irrelevant to their art. The unauthorized usage kind of put the band in a sticky spot, because had they not addressed the ad, it might have implied political views the Stripes don’t espouse. Below, a screencap of the statement posted on the band’s sites:
