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.
Grown So Ugly
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I put on my shoes
I tied my shoes
Then I washed my face
I went to the mirror
For to comb my head
I made a move
Didn't know what to do
I tipped way forward
Got to break and run
Baby, this ain't me
Baby, this ain't me
Got so ugly I don't even know myself
I left Angola
1964
Go walking down my street
Knock on my baby's door
My baby come out
She asks me who I am
And I say, honey,
Don't you know your man?
She said my man's been gone
Since 1942
And I'll tell you Mr. Ugly,
He didn't look like you
The Black Keys' song "Grown So Ugly" is a blues-inspired number that tells a story of a man who feels lost and disconnected from himself. The opening lines of the song describe the singer's mundane morning routine of putting on shoes, washing his face, and combing his hair. However, despite the familiarity of these actions, the man feels a sense of unease and confusion. He makes a sudden move without knowing what to do and ends up tipping forward and running away. This sets the tone for the rest of the song as the singer grapples with his own identity and appearance.
The chorus of the song, "Baby, this ain't me. Got so ugly, I don't even know myself," speaks to the man's internal struggle with his own sense of self. He no longer recognizes himself and feels that he has become "ugly" in some way. The second verse of the song sees the man revisit his hometown and knock on his lover's door, but she fails to recognize him, saying that her man has been away since 1942 and did not look like the man in front of her. The singer's confusion and sense of alienation are further highlighted as he realizes that his past self and present self are seemingly incompatible.
Overall, "Grown So Ugly" is a haunting song that explores themes of identity, alienation, and self-discovery. Its bluesy production and soulful lyrics make for a powerful listening experience that resonates with anyone who has ever struggled with their own sense of self.
Line by Line Meaning
I got up this morning
The singer woke up at the start of the day
And I put on my shoes
The singer got dressed for the day
I tied my shoes
The singer prepared their footwear
Then I washed my face
The artist cleaned themselves
I went to the mirror
The artist looked at their reflection
For to comb my head
The singer started to groom their hair
I made a move
The singer took action
Didn't know what to do
The artist was unsure of how to proceed
I tipped way forward
The artist leaned in towards something
Got to break and run
The artist had to escape quickly
Baby, this ain't me
The singer feels like they've changed
Baby, this ain't me
The artist reiterates that they aren't themselves anymore
Got so ugly I don't even know myself
The singer has experienced a negative transformation in themselves
I left Angola
The singer departed from Angola
1964
The year of the singer's departure
Go walking down my street
The artist went for a walk on their street
Knock on my baby's door
The artist visited someone they are romantically involved with
My baby come out
The person the singer visited came out to greet them
She asks me who I am
The person the singer visited didn't recognize them
And I say, honey,
The artist tries to remind the person who they are
Don't you know your man?
The artist reminds the person that they are their partner
She said my man's been gone
The person the artist visited spoke about their partner being away
Since 1942
The year that the person's partner left
And I'll tell you Mr. Ugly,
The person the artist visited addresses them with a derogatory term
He didn't look like you
The person the singer visited reminds them that their partner looked different
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROBERT PETER WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maria do Carmo Botelho
Amo
Palhacinho
Música roubada do blusman Robert peter Williams. Como muitas músicas de blues robada.
Ivana hjaa
@Palhacinho callate y disfruta
Jorge luiz
@Palhacinho eles prestaram crédito a ele, é só olhar a descrição do vídeo, ele está como compositor e com certeza também foi dada autorização para gravar a música
N.E. Nichtmaus
I suddenly love this as much as Beefhearts
Hector Alva
The Black keys version of a day in the life
Cryptic Dreams
Lol
Massimiliano Mottola
Actually, no. Sorry to say that, but this is a cover of a cover. The original one is a nice song of Robert Pete Williams, covered by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. The Black keys' cover share the lyrics with the last one, not with the original. The Beatles' A Day in the Life is a totally different concept, lyrics, meaning. I'd be glad to better understand your opinion.
ps: this is the original song from Robert Pete Williams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTFWkLmc_7w
Hector Alva
@Massimiliano Mottola thanks for the origin of the song, I was just comparing the songs because they both list what they do in the morning similarly. At least in the "woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head" section of the song
Flsun Racer
@Massimiliano Mottola Howard, it's Beefheart. It's all the blues