Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is a song by the American rock band the White Stripes and the opening track of their third album, White Blood Cells (2001). It was released in the United States in July 2002 by V2 Records, with XL Recordings handling the United Kingdom and Australia releases in September 2002. The song was written by Jack White and composed by him and Meg White. Musically, "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is an alternative and garage rock song with lyrics about a man coping with his lover's abandonment.

"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" was well-received by music critics, who praised its composition and display of Jack and Meg's chemistry. Commercially, it reached the top thirteen of the US Alternative Airplay, Scottish Singles and UK Singles charts, and ended 2002 at number 63 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 25 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is one of the White Stripes's enduring works, covered by artists including Jimmy Page and "Weird Al" Yankovic, and featured as a playable track in the video game Rock Band 3.