Auerbach grew up in a family with musical roots. His second cousin once removed was the late guitarist Robert Quine, an American guitarist known for his innovative guitar solos. Auerbach became infatuated with blues music during his childhood after being exposed to old records by his father. Auerbach often uses an index finger fingerpick along with his thumb to play chords, a technique similar to many earlier blues players.
Formerly of the three piece Akron band The Barnburners from 2000 until 2002, Auerbach formed The Black Keys with drummer Patrick Carney.
Auerbach released a solo album - Keep It Hid - in 2009. Auerbach played most of the instruments on the album, with his cousin James Quine contributing rhythm guitar on two songs and harmony vocals on two more.
My Last Mistake
Dan Auerbach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of all the things I did to you was this the one
That made you break
Did I make my last mistake
Only you can play the game
Rope-a-dope and lay the blame
Can't you see, my body shake'
Cause I made my last mistake
I was out of line before
But this is so much more I know
I don't wanna be the king
Of every single living thing, just you
And you can be my queen, mama
Separate towns, separate hearts
Distant love from distant parts
Every man plays the snake
Bound to make his last mistake
Dan Auerbach's song 'My Last Mistake' is a melancholic reflection on a past relationship that has ended in trouble. The singer is questioning his role in the deterioration of his relationship and is trying to come to grips with what happened, asking if it was his last mistake that broke everything between them. He is seeking answers and wants to know if he made the wrong choices that lead to the separation or if it was his actions that caused everything to fall apart.
The lyrics point towards regret, and the realization of mistakes that are irreversible, causing the singer to feel the pain and the aftermath of the separation. The phrase "Rope-a-dope and lay the blame" can be interpreted as the blame game that often happens in fractured relationships, where both parties try to shift the responsibility onto the other. But, the singer acknowledges his guilt and says "Cause I made my last mistake," which hints that he knows he has done something that was unacceptable and has cost him the relationship.
Overall, the song is a reflection of lost love, regret, and the struggles of trying to come to terms with past mistakes. The lyrics convey the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions and the devastating consequences that come with not doing so.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me now, tell me true
I want to know the real reason why you ended our relationship
Of all the things I did to you was this the one
Out of everything that I've done to you, was this the thing that broke us up?
That made you break
The thing I did to you that caused you to leave me
Did I make my last mistake
Am I completely out of chances with you? Did I finally do something that can't be fixed?
Only you can play the game
You hold all the cards in our relationship now
Rope-a-dope and lay the blame
I tried to shift the blame onto you by using a strategy like the rope-a-dope in boxing
Can't you see, my body shake'
I am visibly nervous and anxious because of my fear of losing you
Cause I made my last mistake
I'm terrified that I might have ruined our relationship completely and lost you for good
I was out of line before
I messed up in our relationship in the past
But this is so much more I know
This is a much bigger mistake that I recognize
I don't wanna be the king
I don't want to control everything in our relationship, I just want you
Of every single living thing, just you
I only want to focus on our love and relationship, not anything else
And you can be my queen, mama
I want you to be the most important person in my life and relationship
Separate towns, separate hearts
Despite being apart, we still love each other
Distant love from distant parts
Our love for each other is still strong despite being far away
Every man plays the snake
All men can be deceiving and cause pain in a relationship
Bound to make his last mistake
At some point, every man will make a mistake that ends a relationship
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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