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.
Just Couldn't Tie Me Down
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How you will changed
I can't tell
In any way
A little village is not a town
Just couldn't tie me down
To my mind
Without reason
Without rhyme
Happiness will come around
Just couldn't tie me down
Feel the winds
Hit your skin
See the shape
You put me in
Saw you talkin, heard the sounds
Just couldn't tie me down
The Black Keys' song "Just Couldn't Tie Me Down" is a song about freedom and the inability to be held down. The lyrics describe the singer's resistance towards being controlled or held in one place, whether that be physically or mentally. The opening line, "Will you let me know how you will change, I can't tell in any way," shows the singer's uncertainty about the future and their need to constantly be moving and changing.
The second stanza uses the metaphor of a "little village" to show the singer's desire to be in a larger, more open space. They feel too confined and suffocated in one place, unable to settle down. The chorus repeats the refrain "Just couldn't tie me down," which emphasizes the singer's rebellious spirit and their desire to break free from anything that tries to hold them back.
The final stanza describes the physical and emotional sensations of this freedom. The wind hitting your skin and seeing the shape you put yourself in invokes a sense of excitement and exhilaration. The final line, "Saw you talkin, heard the sounds, just couldn't tie me down," shows that the singer knows others may try to hold them back, but ultimately they will not be controlled.
Line by Line Meaning
Will you let me know
Asking for clarification about the changes in the relationship
How you will changed
Questioning the transformation in the partner's behavior
I can't tell
Expressing confusion and uncertainty
In any way
Emphasizing the lack of understanding regarding the changes
A little village is not a town
Acknowledging the difference in mentality and expectations
Just couldn't tie me down
Reaffirming the singer's lack of attachment and desire for freedom
Sent a message
Received some type of communication
To my mind
The message was internalized and processed mentally
Without reason
Lacking justification or explanation
Without rhyme
Not fitting any pattern or logic
Happiness will come around
Belief that things will eventually improve
Feel the winds
Sensory experience of the environment
Hit your skin
Physical contact with the surroundings
See the shape
Perceiving the form or outline of something
You put me in
Feeling trapped or confined by the partner's expectations
Saw you talkin, heard the sounds
Observing the actions and words of the partner
Just couldn't tie me down
Reiterating the artist's independence and lack of commitment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANIEL QUINE AUERBACH, PATRICK JAMES CARNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheKillingWomb
Will you let me know,
How you've changed?
I can't tell,
In any way,
Little village, is not a town,
Just couldn't tie me down,
You sent a message,
To my mind,
Without reason,
Without rhyme,
Happiness, come around,
Just couldn't tie me down, yeah,
Feel the wind,
Hit your skin,
I see the shape,
You put me in,
Saw your talkin',
Heard the sounds,
Oh, just couldn't tie me down, yeah.
Karna Micaelian
My soul is in love with them
Martín Pilz
really miss these days
Gökhan Akbay
You have the spirit for blues comrades.
utku ulkat
aynen öyle
Goran Čanković
Веома интересантна постава.. вуче на БЕЛИ БЛУЗ ма опет гитара РОКА... рокај човече!!!!
Christopher Murphy
Funky Blues boys, Rubber Factory is so strong start to finish.
TheKillingWomb
Will you let me know,
How you've changed?
I can't tell,
In any way,
Little village, is not a town,
Just couldn't tie me down,
You sent a message,
To my mind,
Without reason,
Without rhyme,
Happiness, come around,
Just couldn't tie me down, yeah,
Feel the wind,
Hit your skin,
I see the shape,
You put me in,
Saw your talkin',
Heard the sounds,
Oh, just couldn't tie me down, yeah.
Silasj123 channel 2.0
I still fucking love this song so much.
rose kaczmarek
That's my song I do kick boxing judo karate wrestling do security weight lifting workout lift 120 pd nobody can put me down a lot tried they went down I play that song every night when I workout Dawson son
Qorax
Why is this song getting so little views?
Idgi.