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

Young
The Arcs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was on the run again
Had a little money to spend
And everybody knows, everybody knows
How that story can end
Maybe in a smokey glow
Twilight at the bungalow
Everybody knows, everybody knows
How that story can go

I was young
For a very long time
I was dumb
But the pleasure was mine

Run like a son of a gun
Fratch good by everyone
Daddy's gotta go, where he doesn't know
Bet it'll be in the sun
Give me a gun that shoots (Yeah)
Some mellotron fruits (Yeah)
Cause everybody knows, everybody knows
I'm a tree with roots

I was young
For a very long time
I was dumb
But the pleasure was mine

Hey you there
Let your mind go

Let it go
Oh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Arcs' song "Young" paint a picture of a person who is constantly on the run, often with a little money to spend. The first verse sets the tone of the song, with the singer acknowledging that everyone knows how these sorts of stories can end. With lyrics like "smokey glow" and "twilight at the bungalow," the song creates an atmosphere of darkness and mystery. The second verse sees the singer getting into more trouble, with references to explosives and a tree with roots. The chorus, with its repeated phrase "I was young for a very long time," emphasizes the theme that the singer is getting older but still has a sense of youthfulness.

Interpreting this song can be difficult, as the lyrics are largely open to interpretation. However, based on the themes and atmosphere of the song, it could be argued that "Young" is a meditation on the fleeting nature of youth and the danger of getting caught up in one's own desires. The singer seems to be someone who has lived a reckless lifestyle, often putting themselves in danger simply because they can. Overall, "Young" is a moody, introspective song that leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

Line by Line Meaning

I was on the run again
I was in a hurry to leave once again

Had a little money to spend
I had some cash on me to use

And everybody knows, everybody knows
This is a well-known fact to all

How that story can end
The ending of this story is predictable

Maybe in a smokey glow
Perhaps in a hazy atmosphere

Twilight at the bungalow
At dusk near a small house

I was young
I was youthful

For a very long time
For a significant duration

I was dumb
I was foolish

But the pleasure was mine
But I enjoyed it nonetheless

Run like a son of a gun
Run fast and energetically