Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys is clearly a man who likes to keep busy, han… Read Full Bio ↴Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys is clearly a man who likes to keep busy, handling plenty of production assignments and backing like-minded artists during his downtime from the band, and in 2015, after the Black Keys took some time off after drummer Patrick Carney suffered a shoulder injury, Auerbach decided to make productive use of the hiatus by launching a new side project. The Arcs were formed by Auerbach and Leon Michaels, a multi-instrumentalist who was part of the studio crew on Auerbach's production projects for Dr. John and Lana Del Rey. Telling the press "I just wanted to do my thing and get extra weird," Auerbach headed into the studio with Michaels and a handful of friends and colleagues, including Nick Movshon, Homer Steinweiss, Richard Swift, and Kenny Vaughan. The Arcs made their debut with a 7" vinyl single released to independent music stores to commemorate the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao title fight in May 2015. A-side "Stay in My Corner" and the flip "Tomato Can" were songs inspired by Auerbach's passion for boxing, and "Stay in My Corner" also appeared on the Arcs' debut album, Yours, Dreamily, which was recorded in a handful of freewheeling sessions lasting less than two weeks. Yours, Dreamily appeared on Nonesuch Records in September 2015.

Biography by Mark Deming

Blessed & Burned
The Arcs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hold me
But don't control me
I'm just a driver here
So have no fear
Don't you battle me

Golden
Just like we candy

But its so fast it fell
Down the deepest well
Light turns into heat

I've been blessed and I've been burned
Took the test and what I learned
'cause I'm older and I'm wiser
I've been blessed and I've been burned
By this

Fade it
Then fabricate it
They make up stories to
Remind us who
Makes the rules round' here

I've been blessed and I've been burned
Took the test and what I learned
'cause I'm older and I'm wiser

I've been blessed and I've been burned
By this

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Blessed & Burned" by The Arcs expresses the idea of holding on to a sense of freedom while navigating life's challenges, represented here as driving a car. The singer pleads to be held but not controlled, suggesting that while they crave connection and comfort, they are still capable of making their own choices. This is reinforced by the line "Don't you battle me," which implies that the singer has seen their fair share of conflict and wants to avoid further strife.

The metaphor of something sweet and golden falling down a well represents a sense of loss or longing, perhaps for something that seemed perfect at first but eventually fell apart. The transition from light to heat suggests a sense of intensity, a shift from something that was once simple and easy to something that's now more difficult or challenging.

The chorus repeats the phrase "I've been blessed and I've been burned," which is acknowledging the ups and downs of life, both the good and the bad, the successes and the failures. As the singer declares that they're "older and wiser," they're suggesting that they've been through it all and have learned from their experiences, both the blessings and the burns. The overall message is one of resilience and the ability to keep going through life's struggles.

Line by Line Meaning

Hold me
I need someone to hold me

But don't control me
But I don't want to be controlled

I'm just a driver here
I'm just one person in this complex world

So have no fear
So don't be afraid of me

Don't you battle me
Don't fight against me

Golden
My life is precious

Just like we candy
Just like candy that's sweet and easy to consume

But its so fast it fell
But my life changed so quickly for the worse

Down the deepest well
It's like falling into the darkest depths of despair

Light turns into heat
Everything that was good turns to pain and suffering

I've been blessed and I've been burned
I've experienced both happiness and pain