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 IvanoviÄ and Daniela HantuchovĂĄ, 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.
Howlin' For You [Recorded Live At Dan Auerbach's Studio
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah
Well now
I must admit
I can't explain
Racing through my brain
It's true
Baby I'm howlin' for you
Alright
There's something wrong
With this plot
The actors here
Have not got
A clue
Baby I'm howlin' for you
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Mocking bird
Can't you see?
Little girls
Gotta hold on me
Like glue
Baby I'm howlin' for you
Yeah
Throw the ball
To the stick
Swing and miss
And catcher's mitt
Strike two
Baby I'm howlin' for you
Yeah
Yeah
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The lyrics to The Black Keys' "Howlin' For You" express a sense of crazed desire, with the lead singer admitting that he can't explain the thoughts racing through his brain. He uses the analogy of howling like a wolf to convey his intense longing for someone, while also acknowledging that there's something slightly off or wrong about the situation. The mockingbird and little girls references add to the sense of being controlled or influenced by outside forces, unable to resist the pull of a wild and primal desire.
The chorus of the song is a simple repetition of the line "Baby I'm howlin' for you," which emphasizes the focus on the singer's uncontrollable passion. The subsequent verses touch on different aspects of this desire, from the thrill of playing baseball to the frustration of feeling trapped by another person's hold on him. The song overall has a raw and bluesy feel, with the music adding to the sense of frenzy and intensity.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright
Expression of affirmation or agreement
Yeah
Expression of affirmation or agreement
Well now
Expression indicating seriousness or importance of upcoming statement
I must admit
Acknowledgement of a personal truth
I can't explain
Inability to articulate a situation or feeling
Any of these thoughts
The complexity of current thoughts and emotions
Racing through my brain
Intensity or fast pace of the current mental state
It's true
Affirmation of the honesty or validity of previous statements
Baby I'm howlin' for you
The singer is desperate for the recipient's attention and affection
There's something wrong
Perception of a problem or issue with a situation
With this plot
Dissatisfaction with the direction of the events or the outcome
The actors here
Individuals involved in a circumstance or event
Have not got
Incompetence or lack of understanding by said individuals
A clue
Ignorance or misunderstanding of the situation
Mocking bird
Symbolic reference to previous lovers or flings
Can't you see?
An appeal for understanding or recognition of the singer's perspective
Little girls
Symbolic reference to the recipient
Gotta hold on me
Emotional or psychological power that the recipient has over the singer
Like glue
Intensity or persistent nature of control the recipient has over the singer
Throw the ball
A metaphor for the intentional act of seduction or flirting
To the stick
A metaphor continued from the previous line describing manipulating or misleading behavior
Swing and miss
Unsuccessful attempt to appeal to the recipient's interests or affections
And catcher's mitt
The metaphor continues to describe a futile attempt to capture or hold on to the recipient's attention or feelings
Strike two
A sports analogy to represent the second unsuccessful attempt to gain the recipient's attention or affections
Da da da da
Musical repetition without significant lyrical meaning
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Musical repetition without significant lyrical meaning
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Musical repetition without significant lyrical meaning
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Musical repetition without significant lyrical meaning
Da da da da
Musical repetition without significant lyrical meaning
Da da da da
Musical repetition without significant lyrical meaning
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Musical repetition without significant lyrical meaning
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Musical repetition without significant lyrical meaning
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joe Jr.
I need to see them breakdown more tracks that would be awesome
Isaac Burdiss
Definitely
Jack Katcheech
As he gets older, Dan looks more and more like a scuzzy pawn shop owner, and I love it.
supermenka0
lmaoooo
dewdew34
Looks like he stays up all night...
Alice Wilson
Remember listening to The Black Keys 15-20 years ago in high school and they still rock just as hard
kell
Love how subtly funny these guys are in interviews. They just seem like a cool couple of dudes to hang out with.
Henry Snubnose
they should do project with El-p cos they are so similar personality wise
kell
@Henry Snubnose El-p could be an honorary key, 100%. An El-p remix of any black key song would probably melt phones, so weâll have to just imagine it.
matthew rambe
One of the band that stay true to their music. They didnât sell their soul