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.
Lengths
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What is going wrong
I felt you leavin before
You'd even gone
And hold me now
Or never ever hold me again
No more talk
Can take me away from this pain I'm in
See the moonlight shinin on
Your window pane
See it leave you as
Faithful as it came
Please yourself so you
Don't have to be afraid
Make amends
Or carry on another way
Tell me what you were thinkin
To treat somebody so
The care he took the
Lengths to which he'd go
Coals are hot to walk
Across without your shoes
But in the end
Know that you got nothin to lose
The lyrics of The Black Keys' song, The Lengths, encapsulate the pain and heartbreak of a relationship that is breaking apart. The singer is imploring their partner to share where they are going or what is happening to cause them to pull away. They feel abandoned, as if their partner had already left before physically departing. The singer pleads with them to hold them now, or never again, as nothing anyone says can take away the pain they are feeling.
The moonlight shining on the window pane is a metaphor for the temporary comfort the relationship provided before it left the same way it came: suddenly and without warning. The singer advises their partner to please themselves, so they do not have to be afraid, and to make amends or find another way forward. The singer asks their partner to explain why they would treat someone so poorly, highlighting the amount of care and effort the other party had put into the relationship.
The final lines of the song serve as a reminder that life can be difficult and painful, and you may have to walk over hot coals without shoes. However, in the end, you will realize that there is nothing to lose. The singer hopes that the pain caused by the relationship will not deter the other person from trying again.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me where you're goin or
Ask me about the direction or the reason of your departure
What is going wrong
What is the problem that leads to this separation
I felt you leavin before
I sensed your absence before you had physically left
You'd even gone
You had departed from me mentally
And hold me now
Embrace me in your arms at this moment
Or never ever hold me again
This could be our last chance to hold each other
No more talk
Talking will not resolve the pain and suffering that we feel
Can take me away from this pain I'm in
Nothing could relieve me of this emotional pain I'm experiencing
See the moonlight shinin on
Observe the moon's reflection on
Your window pane
The glass window of your room
See it leave you as
Notice how it disappears from your sight
Faithful as it came
Just like the moon arrived without fail, it departs without fail
Please yourself so you
Find happiness within yourself so that
Don't have to be afraid
You can live your life without fear
Make amends
Fix what has been broken
Or carry on another way
Otherwise, find a new path to follow
Tell me what you were thinkin
Explain your thought process that resulted in
To treat somebody so
Treating someone poorly or unfairly
The care he took the
The time and effort he spent to show consideration and concern
Lengths to which he'd go
How far he would go to demonstrate that he cared
Coals are hot to walk
Walking on hot coals would be extremely painful
Across without your shoes
Walking on them without proper footwear
But in the end
Ultimately
Know that you got nothin to lose
Realize that you have nothing to risk or sacrifice
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANIEL AUERBACH, PATRICK CARNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
José Antonio
Tell me where you're goin or
What is going wrong
I felt you leavin before
You'd even gone
And hold me now
Or never ever hold me again
No more talk
Can take me away from this pain I'm in
See the moonlight shinin on
Your window pane
See it leave you as
Faithful as it came
Please yourself so you
Don't have to be afraid
Make amends
Or carry on another way
Tell me what you were thinkin
To treat somebody so
The care he took the
Lengths to which he'd go
Coals are hot to walk
Across without your shoes
But in the end
Know that you got nothin to lose
sadie cole
Tell me where you're going
What is goin' wrong
I felt you leaving
Before you'd even gone
Hold me now
Or never, ever
Hold me again
No more talk
Could take me from this
Pain I'm in
Pain I'm in See the moonlight shining
On your window pane
See it leave you
As faithful as it came
Please yourself
So you don't have to
Be afraid
Make amends
Or carry on another way
Another way
[Verse 3]
Tell me what you were thinking
To treat somebody so
The care he took
The lengths to which he'd goThe coals are hot
To walk across
Without your shoes
But in the end
Know that you've got nothing to lose
Nothing to lose
SwansonPofG
This song came on in my car when I was driving my dog to the vet to be put down this past summer. I still get teary-eyed every time I hear this song. Miss you, buddy...
The Journeyman
Bro I'm sorry. My dog Sebastian died a while back and the pain really never leaves. It kinda dulls though. This song gets to the core.
toiletbluedog
Your breaking my heart.💔
Barbara Pineda
Is so sad, my doggygri Theiky fight vs cancer. I really hope we win the battle
Ricky C
i’m sad to hear that. i’m sure your dog loved the time it spent with you. 9 years later he’s still with you in your heart i’m sure ❤️
George Cosmo
Ahhh that's deep man. RIP almost 10 years!
José Antonio
Tell me where you're goin or
What is going wrong
I felt you leavin before
You'd even gone
And hold me now
Or never ever hold me again
No more talk
Can take me away from this pain I'm in
See the moonlight shinin on
Your window pane
See it leave you as
Faithful as it came
Please yourself so you
Don't have to be afraid
Make amends
Or carry on another way
Tell me what you were thinkin
To treat somebody so
The care he took the
Lengths to which he'd go
Coals are hot to walk
Across without your shoes
But in the end
Know that you got nothin to lose
Jessica Little
This is top 10 Best Black Key's songs!! The blues will never die. Rock-n-roll will never die.
kojh jijij
Pure wisdom. 'coals are hot to walk across without your shoes but in the end know that you got nothin to lose' I swear these lyrics define this generations blues.
Memory Cloud
sweet release