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.
Howlin' For You
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah
Well, now
I must admit, I can't explain
Any of these thoughts racin' through my brain
It's true
But, baby, I'm howlin' for you
There's something wrong with this plot
The actors here have not got
A clue
Baby, I'm howlin' for you
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Mockingbird, can't you see?
Little girl's got a hold on me
Like glue
Baby, I'm howlin' for you
Yeah
Throw the ball to the stick
Swing and miss and a catcher's mitt
Strike two
Baby, I'm howlin' for you
Yeah
Yeah
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
The lyrics to The Black Keys' "Howlin' for You" tell a story of a man's obsessive love for a woman. The man admits he can't explain the thoughts racing through his brain, but he's still "howlin' for" her. The song seems to be about his undying passion for a woman despite the fact that the "actors" surrounding him (perhaps friends or family) can't seem to understand why he's so deeply addicted to her.
In the chorus, the singer compares his love for this woman to a ball game. He asks to throw the ball to the stick, but then he misses and catches strike two. This metaphor represents the emotional journey the singer has with his love interest. The game doesn't end with strike two, and the singer is still "howlin'" for her.
Overall, the song is a rock driven, bluesy love song that uses interesting metaphors to convey a man's almost obsessive love for a woman. The singer seems to be consumed by his love, and he can't help but keep "howlin' for her."
Line by Line Meaning
Alright
Let's get started
Yeah
Agreement
Well, now
Emphasis on what's to come
I must admit, I can't explain
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to articulate
Any of these thoughts racin' through my brain
Mind is racing and chaotic
It's true
A statement of fact
But, baby, I'm howlin' for you
Despite confusion, there's a strong desire for the person being addressed
There's something wrong with this plot
Detecting a problem with the current situation
The actors here have not got
Those involved are not equipped to handle the situation
A clue
There's a lack of understanding
Baby, I'm howlin' for you
Despite the issues, there's a strong desire for the person being addressed
Da-da, da-da, da
Instrumental break
Mockingbird, can't you see?
Talking to someone or something that sees things clearly
Little girl's got a hold on me
Feeling trapped or influenced by someone, likely a younger woman
Like glue
Indicates a strong attachment or influence
Baby, I'm howlin' for you
Despite feeling trapped, there's still a strong desire for the person being addressed
Throw the ball to the stick
Reference to the game of baseball
Swing and miss and a catcher's mitt
A failed attempt
Strike two
Second failed attempt
Baby, I'm howlin' for you
Despite failure, there's still a strong desire for the person being addressed
Yeah
Agreement
Yeah
Agreement
Da-da, da-da, da
Instrumental break
Da-da, da-da, da
Instrumental break
Da-da, da-da, da
Instrumental break
Da-da, da-da, da
Instrumental break
Da-da, da-da, da
Instrumental break
Da-da, da-da, da
Instrumental break
Da-da, da-da, da
Instrumental break
Da-da, da-da, da
Instrumental break
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Daniel Quine Auerbach, Patrick James Carney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeanjeanjeanjeansalve
I must admit, I can't explain
Any of these thoughts racin' through my brain
It's true
But, 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
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Mockingbird, can't you see?
Little girl's got a hold on me
Like glue
Baby, I'm howlin' for you
Yeah
Throw the ball to the stick
Swing and miss and a catcher's mitt
Strike two
Baby, I'm howlin' for you
Yeah
Yeah
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
Da-da, da-da, da
@JonnyTheRWBYDude2004
Cheers to those who FINALLY found this
@that_flnger
I was searching for this for a long long time
@Joanofthearc3
Yessss!!! Thanks Black keys for making it free I can’t find my 30 pin iPod nano shuffle charger….
@justingreen2432
This song makes me want to assemble a team.....
@theozkavosh
You mean, you want to assemble the A-TEAM?
@theozkavosh
Them references....
@barrycorrin8086
Yeah baby!!! Assemble it!!
@connorrandall716
Me 5
@jamiefelix4921
Same lol
@scythex11
My older brother showed me this band. I'm eternally grateful, and i'm dead serious.