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.
Little Black Submarines
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Operator, please
Put me back on the line
Told my girl I'd be back
Operator, please
This is wreckin' my mind
Oh, can it be?
The voices calling me
They get lost and out of time
I should've seen it glow
But everybody knows
That a broken heart is blind
That a broken heart is blind
Pick you up, let you down
When I wanna go
To a place I can hide
You know me, I had plans
But they just disappeared
To the back of my mind
Oh, can it be?
The voices calling me
They get lost and out of time
I should've seen it glow
But everybody knows
That a broken heart is blind
That a broken heart is blind
Treasure maps, fallen trees
Operator, please
Call me back when it's time
Stolen friends and disease
Operator, please
Patch me back to my mind
Oh, can it be?
The voices calling me
They get lost and out of time
I should've seen it glow
But everybody knows
That a broken heart is blind
That a broken heart is blind
That a broken heart is blind
The lyrics to "Little Black Submarines" by The Black Keys tell the story of a brokenhearted man who's trying to deal with the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song begins with the singer asking an operator to put him through to his girlfriend, whom he has promised to return to. However, as he's waiting on the phone, he starts hearing voices in his head that remind him of his pain and regret. He realizes that a broken heart is a blind heart, and he should have seen the signs that the relationship was doomed.
The second verse reveals that the man has lost his way and is trying to escape his troubles by hiding. However, he acknowledges that he had plans and dreams, but they have been shattered. Once again, the voices in his head remind him of the truth, and he finally realizes that he's been in denial about his situation. The third verse describes how the man has been betrayed by friends and is struggling with a disease. He desperately asks the operator to patch him back to his mind as he comes to terms with his reality.
The chorus of the song focuses on the idea that a broken heart is blind. The singer should have seen the warning signs, but he didn't because he was too consumed by love. Overall, the main theme of the song is the heartbreak and despair that come with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Little black submarines
The subject introduces a metaphorical statement to set the tone for the song, indicating that they are feeling trapped and under pressure.
Operator, please
The subject is reaching out for help, but is unsuccessful in establishing a connection with the operator.
Put me back on the line
The subject wants to communicate with someone who can help them, but they are disconnected and need to reconnect.
Told my girl I'd be back
The subject promised someone important to them that they would return, but it seems not to have happened yet.
This is wreckin' my mind
The state of being disconnected and unable to return is distressing to the subject, causing anxiety and frustration.
Oh, can it be?
The subject is themselves questioning the reality of their current situation, unsure if they are imagining or real.
The voices calling me
The subject is experiencing hallucinations or delusions which are pulling them in various directions.
They get lost and out of time
The voices the subject hears can't give them clear guidance or a clear path towards resolution, instead creating further confusion.
I should've seen it glow
The subject is reflecting on past events and their perception of what they should have been aware of at the time.
But everybody knows
The subject acknowledges that there are common experiences, including heartbreak, which everyone can relate to.
That a broken heart is blind
The subject recognizes that when a person is experiencing heartbreak they may not perceive things as they truly are.
Pick you up, let you down
The subject may have had plans and expectations that things would work out better, but the reality was different.
When I wanna go
The subject is describing a desire to escape and find a safe haven.
To a place I can hide
The subject is searching for a sanctuary that is free from the realities and pressures of their current state.
You know me, I had plans
The subject, highlighting the same point as before, identifies that they had hopes, aspirations, or a plan that has since failed.
But they just disappeared
The subject recognizes the failure of their plans or aspirations and can't find a clear understanding of what went wrong.
To the back of my mind
The subject has relegated the failed plan or aspirations to the past, but it still affects them.
Treasure maps, fallen trees
The subject uses metaphorical language to describe events, possibly with the connotation that they were misled or things fell apart in more than one way.
Call me back when it's time
The subject is again reaching out for help, highlighting that timing is important and they need assistance at the right moment.
Stolen friends and disease
The subject is using metaphorical language to suggest that they are missing people in their lives, indicating feelings of loneliness.
Patch me back to my mind
The subject is again seeking help to help them reconnect to a more focused and aware state of mind.
That a broken heart is blind
The song concludes with a reinforcement of the idea that heartbreak can take a toll on a person's ability to see things and situations clearly, providing context to the entire song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brian Joseph Burton, Daniel Quine Auerbach, Patrick James Carney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind