Jack White Responds to Troll With Poetic Ode to Drummer Meg White

Earlier this week, writer Lachlan Markay posted a tweet dissing Meg White and her drumming. Now, famous musicians, including Meg’s former bandmate Jack White, are coming to her defense.

Noting the 20th anniversary of the song “Seven Nation Army,” Markay wrote in a tweet, “The tragedy of the White Stripes is how great they would’ve been with a half-decent drummer. Yeah, yeah I’ve heard all the ‘but it’s a carefully crafted sound mannnn!’ takes. I’m sorry Meg White was terrible and no band is better for having shitty percussion.”

The comment comes despite Meg being retired. Though she is soon to become only the third woman drummer ever to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Iconic drummer Questlove of the Roots defended White—and if anyone knows drummers, it’s Questlove. “I try to leave ‘troll views’ alone but this right here is out of line af,” wrote Quest. “Actually what is wrong w music is people choking the life out of music like an Instagram filter—trying to reach a high of music perfection that doesn’t even serve the song (or music).”

“Not only is Meg White a fantastic drummer, Jack also said the White Stripes would be nothing without her,” wrote Karen Elson, who Jack married after he and Meg divorced. “To the journalist who dissed her, keep my ex-husband’s ex-wife name out of your f*cking mouth. (Please and Thank You).”

To top it all off, Jack wrote a poem in Meg’s honor, sharing it on Instagram: “To be born in another time, any era but our own would’ve been fine,” White writes. “100 years from now, 1000 years from now, some other distant, different, time. One without demons, cowards, and vampires out for blood, one with the positive inspiration to foster what is good.”

Markay, who was getting obliterated on Twitter, deleted the original tweet, made his account private, and posted an apology that can only be seen by those who already follow him.

Read Jack’s full poem below.

Photo by Jason Merritt/FilmMagic for Superfly Presents