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.
Flash of Silver
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my eyes still see,
When the fire hits your belly,
Do you ever think of me?
Door swung open,
And who did appear?
Oh, the warmth I was lovin',
And to my heart was dear, mmm,
She said "Don't retrace,
What's said and done,"
If her words didn't hurt like bullets,
Tongue wouldn't be so numb,
Cannot be so weary,
And my mind run blank,
Just caught flash of silver,
In this cold and empty lake.
In “Flash of Silver,” The Black Keys explore the aftermath of a fractured relationship. The lyrics seem to be rooted in the moment after an argument has occurred and the singer is left to reflect on the emotions they experienced during the fight. The opening lines, “My head is tired, yeah, But my eyes still see,” suggest that the singer is mentally exhausted but still able to process what happened. They ask if, in the midst of the argument, their partner ever thought of them. This could indicate feelings of neglect or abandonment from the singer’s perspective.
The second verse starts with “She said ‘Don’t retrace, What’s said and done,’” implying that the argument is not something that can be easily forgotten or forgiven. The singer’s tongue is “numb” from the sting of her words, adding another layer to the idea that the relationship is in a painful and uncomfortable place. The song takes a surreal turn in the final lines when the singer sees a “flash of silver” in a “cold and empty lake.” Though it is not clear what this image represents, it suggests that the fight has left the singer feeling emotionally drained and maybe even hopeless.
Overall, the lyrics of “Flash of Silver” paint a picture of a relationship in turmoil. The exhaustion, hurt, and surreal imagery all serve to emphasize the emotional strain caused by the argument. This song shows The Black Keys’ ability to not only rock out but also to capture deep and nuanced human experiences in their lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
My head is tired, yeah,
Although I'm feeling tired, my mind is still functioning.
But my eyes still see,
Despite my fatigue, my vision is still functional.
When the fire hits your belly,
When you're feeling aroused or passionate,
Do you ever think of me?
Do you still have feelings for me in these moments?
Door swung open,
Suddenly the door opened,
And who did appear?
Who came in?
Oh, the warmth I was lovin',
I cherished the warmth that was brought in with the person,
And to my heart was dear, mmm,
This feeling was very important to me and made my heart happy.
She said "Don't retrace,
She advised me not to revisit the past,
What's said and done,"
What's done is done and can't be changed.
If her words didn't hurt like bullets,
If her words didn't hurt as much as they do,
Tongue wouldn't be so numb,
My tongue wouldn't feel so paralyzed or unsure.
Cannot be so weary,
I can't let myself become so tired or exhausted,
And my mind run blank,
And I can't allow myself to become mentally blank,
Just caught flash of silver,
I suddenly glimpsed something shiny and metallic,
In this cold and empty lake.
At the bottom of this emotionless and lifeless existence.
Contributed by Luke T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Eye Said It
My head is tired, yeah
But my eyes still see
When the fire hits your belly
Do you ever think of me?
Door swung open
And who did appear?
Oh, the warmth I was lovin'
And to my heart was dear, mmm
She said "Don't retrace
What's said and done,"
If her words didn't hurt like bullets
Tongue wouldn't be so numb
Cannot be so weary
And my mind run blank
Just caught flash of silver
In this cold and empty lake
heyammy
The b sides are like finding a new black keys album down the back of the sofa!
Chuck Marr
If I was playing this song in a band, I don't see how it'd end any other way than every instrument being smashed to pieces.
Eli Nelson
They absolutely nailed the audio on this track. This has to be in my top 5 Keys songs!
Toinette H
I am in awe. Just found this tune today (thanks, Annairbm!) and can't get enough of it. Haunting vocals and lyrics - and love the sonic intensity.
Slade Swanson
7 years late, but its on the till i get my way/girl is on my mind single CD
Ryan
This has to be a personal favourite of mine, thank you so much AnnairbM. :)
SpirallingOut
Regularly have this on repeat. One of my favourite 'Keys songs.
lowtunenate
sick. i love the way vocals sound. so real.
P. Mathias
echo on the drums great, vocals are awesome! thank you for sharing keep up the awesome work.
andthat'swhyI'maPotato
Stumbled upon this one today. I need to stop adding their songs to my Sexy Time playlist, Dang it!