While still teenagers, they formed after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Reruns. Drummer Joe Bradley joined a few months later. They released their first 7" in late 2001/early 2002 on their own Die Slaughterhaus label.
Just days before a tour was to begin in December 2002, Ben Eberbaugh was killed in a car accident after his car was hit by a drunk driver. The band carried on believing that Eberbaugh would want them to continue.
The band's debut full length album was released on Bomp! Records in 2003. Eberbaugh was replaced by Jack Hines, a friend of the band members, but he too was eventually replaced by current guitarist, and former Renegades member, Ian St. Pe , in 2004.
The Black Lips have a reputation for crazy live shows that have included vomiting, urinating, nudity, band members kissing, fireworks, and a chicken. They have slowly built a fanbase that appreciates their energy and style that is a rough mishmash of blues, rock, doo-wop, country, and punk.
They gained national attention in 2006 with features in Spin and Rolling Stone magazines. The band got exposure in the New York Times for being the hardest working band during the 2007 South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, in which they played a dozen shows over a three-day period.
In September 2007 their most recent album entitled Good Bad Not Evil was released. The Black Lips made their American national television debut in October 2007 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and played O Katrina.
The band also has songs from previous recording sessions, and they will eventually be released by In The Red Records.
The Black Lips are going to star in a film called Let It Be. They will play musicians in a fictitious '1980s era DIY band called The Renegades. The movie is set for production in 2008.
Cole, Jared and Joe also play in a band called The Spooks, along with members of Deerhunter and The Kiwis. The Spooks have recorded an album which should be released in 2007 or 2008 on the Die Slaughterhaus label. Ian also plays in a blasphemous garage punk band called The Original Three. There is a full length record out on Empty records and a single out on SYA records (Italy). The Original Three will have a new single coming out in December 2007 on Savage records (Sweden). Jared plays in a band called The Gaye Blades. Rob's House Records has released one 7" by The Gaye Blades, and another one should be released before the end of 2007. Cole has also released solo material under the name Old King Cole Younger. There is one split 10" release of his material on Rob's House Records that features Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, under the name of Atlas Sound, on the other side.
In 2009, the band released their fifth album, "200 Million Thousand", on Vice Records.
Band Members
* Cole Alexander (Old King Cole Younger) - Vocals, Guitar (2000 - present)
* Jared Swilley - Vocals, Bass Guitar (2000 - present)
* Joe Bradley - Vocals, Drums (2000 - present)
* Ian St. Pe - Guitar (2005 - 2014)
* Jack Hines - former Guitar (2002 - 2005, 2014 - present)
* Ben Eberbaugh - Guitarz(2000 - 2002) - deceased
Lock and Key
Black Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I was young I felt like a stage hound
Mud on my boots blood on my hand
Blood start drippin on the Ku Klux Klan
Blood on my jeans blood in the land
Blood start drippin in my Budweiser can
Life was fun when you weren't the talk of the town
I'm crazy when you come messin around
I made it when you come messin around
I'm elated when you come messin around
When I want something from the lost and found
I'm dated when you come messin around
When I'm shunned you're mute stop making sound
The lyrics for Black Lips’ “Lock and Key” seem to be about the emotions and experiences of the singer, specifically when they were younger. The beginning conveys a sense of unease or apprehension, as the singer addresses a woman who has come around, almost as if he's warning her not to cause any trouble. He then mentions feeling like a “stage hound” when he was young, which could suggest a desire for attention and the excitement of performing.
Things take a darker turn in the next few lines, with talk of mud and blood on the singer's clothes and Klan-inspired violence. It’s a sudden shift that suggests a tumultuous past, one that the singer is still carrying with him. The final lines of the verse describe blood dripping into a Budweiser can, adding to the atmosphere of violence and lawlessness.
The chorus then comes in with a repetition of “messin around,” with the singer appearing to be conflicted about the woman's presence. He notes how life was more fun before she became part of his world, and seems to imply that her coming around has thrown things off-balance. However, he also describes how her presence can be “elating” and help him find lost things.
Overall, the lyrics to “Lock and Key” paint a picture of a chaotic, intense life full of violence and instability. The woman in question seems to represent a sort of anchor or source of instability for the singer, one that he both relies on and resents.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh lady when you come messin around
When you interfere with my life, oh woman
When I was young I felt like a stage hound
When I was young, I felt like I belonged on stage
Mud on my boots blood on my hand
There is mud on my boots, there is blood on my hand
Blood start drippin on the Ku Klux Klan
Blood starts dripping on the Ku Klux Klan, a violent racist group
Blood on my jeans blood in the land
Blood is on my jeans, and there is blood in the land
Blood start drippin in my Budweiser can
Blood starts dripping in my Budweiser can, a brand of beer
I'm dazin when you come messin around
I am confused when you interfere with my life
Life was fun when you weren't the talk of the town
My life was enjoyable when you were not the center of attention in the town
I'm crazy when you come messin around
I feel insane when you interfere with my life
I made it when you come messin around
I succeed in life when you interfere with my life
I'm elated when you come messin around
I am delighted when you interfere with my life
When I want something from the lost and found
When I search for something lost
I'm dated when you come messin around
I am old-fashioned when you interfere with my life
When I'm shunned you're mute stop making sound
When I am rejected, you become silent and stop talking
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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