They released their first album, The Big Come Up, in 2002, followed by Thickfreakness in 2003, and Rubber Factory in 2004. October 2005 saw the release of the DVD Live, recorded live at The Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia March 18, 2005. In 2006 they released Magic Potion, as well as the lesser-known Chulahoma and a single version of Your Touch.
One of their trademarks is their preference for simple, lo-fi recording techniques. They refuse to use big-name studios, and do most recording, producing, and mixing themselves. Most of Thickfreakness was recorded in about 14 hours in Carney's basement, using only an early 80's Tascam 388 8-track recorder. Often, their recordings still have background noises (such as an owl hooting).
The Black Keys have achieved increasing critical acclaim and recognition since their debut album, which itself received praise from Rolling Stone magazine. Time magazine named them one of the "10 Best Acts of 2003" (behind OutKast and The White Stripes). They have supported a number of bands: they toured with Sleater-Kinney in 2003, had a short stint opening for Beck, have recently opened for Radiohead on the American leg of their brief 2006 tour, and performed at Lollapalooza in 2005 and 2007. In addition to this, they were also well-liked by influential British radio DJ John Peel and appeared on both Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Show with David Letterman. Famous followers of the band include Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammet. Matt Helders, drummer for the Arctic Monkeys, can be seen in a Black Keys T-Shirt in an interview on MTV's RAW.
Their song "When the Lights Go Out" was featured in the 2007 film Black Snake Moan, and also on the soundtrack for that movie. The Black Keys were included in the soundtrack of the 2003 movie School of Rock with their song, "Set You Free". "Lies" was featured in the conclusion of the February 4, 2009 episode of Lie to Me. One of their songs, "Girl Is on My Mind", was used in a 2006 Sony Ericsson advertisement, starring the tennis players Ana Ivanović and Daniela Hantuchová, gaining the band more commercial recognition. It was also used in a 2006 Victoria's Secret commercial featuring Heidi Klum and could be heard in the movies Rest Stop and Cashback. Their song "10 am Automatic" was used in the video game MLB '06: The Show, The O.C., The Go-Getter, and was also used in a 2007 American Express commercial starring Shaun White. "Your Touch" was featured in a 2007 Lee's jeans commercial, and can be heard both in an episode of NBC's Friday Night Lights and in an episode of "Eastbound and Down". Their cover "Grown So Ugly" can be heard in the background of the going away party in the 2007 film Cloverfield. "Strange Times" is used in Grand Theft Auto IV on the in-game radio station Radio Broker. "Strange Times" can also be heard during a preview for ABC's The Mole, and the trailer for season three of the Showtime series Dexter, as well as a promo for Gossip Girl. Their song "Just Got To Be" is used on the soundtrack for the video game NHL 08, and "Hard Row" is featured in the premiere episode of the FX show Sons of Anarchy. Sons of Anarchy has gone on to use "Keep Me" in both Episodes 6 and 7, as well as "Busted" in episode 7. The song "Lies" is featured in the advertising campaign for the third season of HBO's Big Love. "The Breaks" can be heard in Guy Ritchie' film RocknRolla. "Your Touch" can also be heard in the HBO series "Entourage" in the episode "Manic Monday", during the opening scenes. The song "Psychotic Girl" is featured the episode "Messin' with the Kid" in season 6 of One Tree Hill. "I'll Be Your Man" is the opening theme song for the HBO show Hungand was also featured in an episode of the FX Network show Rescue Me. "Your Touch" can also be heard in the film Zombieland and in an episode of "Eastbound and Down" on HBO. The song "I Got Mine" has been used in HBO's sports reality series 24/7 Pacquiao-Hatton" [13] as well as background music for the 2009 American League Championship Series. The song "Next Girl" is featured in the in game radio of Saints Row the Third.
Their fourth record that Danger Mouse produced Attack & Release was out April 1st 2008. The duo's fifth album is the first one recorded in a proper studio.
The Band's fifth album, "Brothers" was released in spring 2010 and has seen increasing amounts of exposure to the "Dancing T-Rex" video for the song "Tighten Up" that went viral...until the band asked it to be removed because they felt it made light of their music. A proper video was released later in 2010, featuring Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney at a playground and was pushed on the band's official YouTube channel, as well as through the iTunes and Zune marketplaces. The track "Tighten Up" was also used as the background music for a Subaru Legacy commercial and on the FIFA 2011 Soundtrack.
The Black Keys' seventh studio album, "El Camino," was released on the 6th of December 2011. Co-produced by Danger Mouse, the album was released to critical acclaim, receiving positive reviews from The Rolling Stones, NME and more. Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly commented on "El Camino", saying that "El Camino trades the soulful stylings of Brothers for harder-driving, faster-riffing rock & roll". At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, El Camino won the award for Best Rock Album, while "Lonely Boy" received multiple honors, taking 'Best Rock Performance' and 'Best Rock Song'. The album has sold 1.4 million copies in the United States to date.
The Black Keys' eighth studio album, Turn Blue, was released on May 12, 2014 to generally favorable reviews.
Gotta Get Away
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a heartbeat, mama said mama said
You got a one track mind, but you ain't gonna get all the time
She wasn't lyin'
I went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo
Just to get away from you
I searched far and wide, hopin' I was wrong
But baby all the good women are gone
My rent's down, got used up
On gasoline, know what I mean, what I mean
Atlanta, GA by the end of the day
No other way, that's what I say
I went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo
Just to get away from you
I searched far and wide, hopin' I was wrong
But baby all the good women are gone
And everything I had to say
Wish we'd gone so far away
Well now I
Can't stay
Blacktop, I can't stop
For no one, it's no fun, no fun
With a one track mind if you don't get lucky some time
But still I'm tryin'
I went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo
Just to get away from you
I searched far and wide, hopin' I was wrong
But baby all the good women are gone
I went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo
Just to get away from you
I searched far and wide, hopin' I was wrong
But baby all the good women are gone
The lyrics to The Black Keys' song "Gotta Get Away" tells the story of a man who is driven to escape from a relationship that is no longer working. The opening line, "I got paid when I was on the road," sets the tone for the rest of the song. This man's job is to travel, and he is paid for it. His girlfriend/mother says he has a "one track mind," which suggests that he is thinking about work all the time, which is why he wants to get away. The line "You got a one track mind, but you ain't gonna get all the time" reinforces this idea. His girlfriend/mother knows that he won't be able to handle this one track mind all the time. He will eventually want something else.
The chorus of the song, "I went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo, just to get away from you," emphasizes that the singer has traveled a lot to try and escape his relationship. However, he recognizes that "all the good women are gone," suggesting that he believes all the women worth being with are already taken. The verse "And everything I had to say, wish we'd gone so far away. Well now I can't stay" reveals that he has a lot to say, but it was not the right time for him to say them. He wishes that they had gone further away so that he could have more time to say what he wanted to say. However, he realizes that he cannot stay in this relationship any longer and must leave.
Overall, "Gotta Get Away" is a song about a man who is in a relationship that is no longer serving him well. He has tried to escape by traveling, but he recognizes that "all the good women are gone," suggesting that he believes he might not find what he is looking for.
Line by Line Meaning
I got paid when I was on the road
While traveling, The Black Keys earned a living.
In a heartbeat, mama said mama said
Urgently, The Black Keys recall maternal advice.
You got a one track mind, but you ain't gonna get all the time
Although he's focused, The Black Keys can't have everything he desires.
She wasn't lyin'
The Black Keys admits the accuracy of his mother's words.
I went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo
The Black Keys traveled a great distance to get away from someone.
Just to get away from you
The Black Keys wanted space from a particular person.
I searched far and wide, hopin' I was wrong
The Black Keys hunted thoroughly, wishing they were mistaken.
But baby all the good women are gone
Unfortunately, The Black Keys believes that all the desirable women are unavailable.
My rent's down, got used up
The Black Keys spent his lease money on gas.
On gasoline, know what I mean, what I mean
The Black Keys spent lots of money on fuel, which he believed was clear.
Atlanta, GA by the end of the day
The Black Keys intended to arrive in Atlanta before nightfall.
No other way, that's what I say
The Black Keys choose to travel despite the circumstances.
And everything I had to say
All The Black Keys wanted to communicate.
Wish we'd gone so far away
The Black Keys desires to be somewhere different.
Well now I
The Black Keys feels differently now than he did before.
Can't stay
The Black Keys is unable to remain.
Blacktop, I can't stop
The Black Keys is always on the move.
For no one, it's no fun, no fun
Traveling alone isn't enjoyable for The Black Keys.
With a one track mind if you don't get lucky some time
The goal-oriented mindset of The Black Keys can become tiresome if not productive.
But still I'm tryin'
Despite previous disappointments, The Black Keys keeps striving.
I went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo
The Black Keys retreated to Kalamazoo to escape from someone.
Just to get away from you
The Black Keys found it necessary to leave this person's proximity.
I searched far and wide, hopin' I was wrong
The Black Keys looked for substitutes despite hoping that there was no need.
But baby all the good women are gone
The Black Keys thinks highly of women, but only sees unavailable ones.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PATRICK CARNEY, BRIAN BURTON, DANIEL AUERBACH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind