The piece was a collaboration with allison mosshart lead singer of the kills created for sfwam songs for words and music the charity is a literacy project with jeff antebi waxspolitation records pairing artists with musicians this is the big city baby was written by allison when she was sitting with jack white from the white stripes in new york by the wishing well fountain and the events of that day then prompted the written piecealison had been hanging on for several years waiting