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.
In Time
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all the people, they sure don't want you to know
They don't want you to know, oh
Livin' in chains, the heart's rearranged
You gotta lure it back, all of the time
Now tell me I'm right, oh
And I got a thing I really can't say
You've got a worried mind
I've got a worried heart
You don't know what to do
I don't know where to start
You let this beat us down
Well get up off the ground
One day, I know
We've got to go, oh
Where is your mind?
The street is beating you bad
It's taken it's time, it's taken it's time, oh
Oh, where to run?
I told you to get, but you were having your fun
Now you're under the gun, oh
And I got a thing I really can't say
You've got a worried mind
I've got a worried heart
You don't know what to do
I don't know where to start
You let this beat us down
Well get up off the ground
One day, I know
We've got to go, oh
The lyrics to The Black Keys’ song “In Time” describe a feeling of desperation and confusion about the direction of one’s life. The singer asks multiple questions, such as “Where do we go?” and “Where is your mind?” suggesting a lack of clarity about choices and decisions. The people around them seem to hold some sort of knowledge that they don’t want to share, creating feelings of isolation and helplessness. In the second verse, the singer speaks to someone with a “worried mind,” someone who is similarly struggling with indecision and feeling the weight of the world. They urge this person to “get up off the ground” and eventually, they will have to move forward.
The chorus consistently repeats that they “got a thing [they] really can’t say,” and while it's unclear what that thing is, it seems to be a source of great frustration for them. It could be a secret, a confession, or something else entirely. Regardless, it's evident that whatever that thing is, it's weighing heavily on their minds and making it difficult for them to think clearly.
Overall, “In Time” is a song about uncertainty and the challenge of figuring out which direction to take. It’s a relatable song for anyone who’s ever felt lost or unsure about what to do next.
Line by Line Meaning
Where do we go?
The singer is questioning the path they should take in life.
And all the people, they sure don't want you to know
The people around the singer are intentionally keeping them in the dark.
They don't want you to know, oh
The people around the singer are hiding the truth from them.
Livin' in chains, the heart's rearranged
The artist feels trapped and their emotions are mixed up.
You gotta lure it back, all of the time
The artist needs to work hard to regain control of their emotions.
Now tell me I'm right, oh
The singer is seeking validation for their feelings.
And I got a thing I really can't say
The singer has a secret that they are not ready to reveal.
You've got a worried mind
The person the artist is speaking to is anxious and stressed.
I've got a worried heart
The artist is also feeling anxious and stressed.
You don't know what to do
The person the artist is speaking to is lost and unsure of how to proceed.
I don't know where to start
The singer is also uncertain of how to move forward.
You let this beat us down
The situation has caused both the artist and the person they are speaking to to feel defeated.
Well get up off the ground
The singer is urging the person they are speaking to to rise above their struggles.
One day, I know
The singer has hope that things will get better eventually.
We've got to go, oh
The singer and the person they are speaking to need to move on from this difficult situation.
Where is your mind?
The artist is questioning the other person's state of mind.
The street is beating you bad
The other person is struggling with the harsh realities of life.
It's taken it's time, it's taken it's time, oh
The difficulty the other person is facing has been a long time in the making.
Oh, where to run?
The singer is urging the other person to find an escape from their struggles.
I told you to get, but you were having your fun
The other person has been ignoring the artist's advice and enjoying themselves instead of facing reality.
Now you're under the gun, oh
The situation has become urgent and pressing for the other person.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BRIAN JOSEPH BURTON, DANIEL AUERBACH, PATRICK CARNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind