The song is known for its underlying riff, which plays throughout most of the song. Although it sounds like a bass guitar (an instrument the group had never previously used), the sound is actually created by running Jack White's semi-acoustic, 1950s-style Kay Hollowbody guitar through a DigiTech Whammy pedal set down an octave.
The song's title originated from White's mispronunciation of Salvation Army as a child.
in March 2003, the track reached number one on the Alternative Songs chart, maintaining that position for three weeks.
The track became the third best-performing song of the decade on the Alternative Songs chart.
The song received two nominations for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, winning the latter one.