The Hardest Button to Button

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (March 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

"The Hardest Button to Button"
Single by the White Stripes
from the album Elephant
B-side	"St. Ides of March"
Released	August 11, 2003 (2003-08-11)
Recorded	April 2002[1]
Studio	Toe Rag (London)
Genre	Alternative rock garage rock
Length	3:32
Label	V2 XL Third Man
Songwriter(s)	Jack White
Producer(s)	Jack White
The White Stripes singles chronology
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (2003) "The Hardest Button to Button" (2003) "There's No Home for You Here" (2004)
Music video
"The Hardest Button To Button" on YouTube

"The Hardest Button to Button" is a song by American alternative rock band the White Stripes, released on August 11, 2003 through V2, XL, and Third Man records. It was written by Jack White and composed by the band for their fourth album, Elephant. According to Jack, the song is about a child trying to find his place in a dysfunctional family when a new baby comes. The cover of the single is an allusion to the graphics of Saul Bass, seen in the movie posters and title sequences of films such as Anatomy of a Murder and The Man with the Golden Arm. The cover also alludes to White's then-broken index finger and his obsession with the number three.

"The Hardest Button to Button" was released to US alternative radio on August 11, 2003, and was issued commercially in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2003. Upon its release, the song reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart and number eight on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Music critics praised "The Hardest Button to Button" and it has been considered one of the band's signature songs.

The song's music video, directed by Michel Gondry, shows Jack and Meg White performing the song while pixilation animation is used to create the effect that numerous duplicates of their instruments appear with every beat. It similarly earned acclaim and four nominations at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards.