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.
Lies
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said the moon was ours, the hell with the day
The sunlight is always gonna take love away
Brings up suspicions and alibi's
But I can see blue, tear-blinded eyes
Lies, lies, lies, oh lies
I got a stone where my heart should be
And nothing I do will make you love me
I'd leave this time, break all my ties
Be no more use for any disguise
Lies, lies, lies, oh lies
I wanna die without pain, yeah
I wanna die, oh, without pain
All this deception I just can't maintain
The sun, moon, the stars in the sky
It'd hurt me too bad if you said goodbye
Lies, lies, lies, oh lies
The lyrics to The Black Keys' "Lies" speak of a relationship built on deceit and dishonesty. The opening lines "Said the moon was ours, yeah / Said the moon was ours, the hell with the day" suggest that the couple was living in a romanticized world where they were each other's only source of happiness, while the rest of the world didn't matter. However, as the lyrics progress, the singer expresses the doubts and suspicions they have about their partner, fearing that they are not as committed to the relationship as they are. The line "The sunlight is always gonna take love away / Brings up suspicions and alibi's" implies that the presence of another lover or a lack of commitment causes doubts and lies in the relationship. The singer admits to wearing a mask of deception, but the truth behind their tear-blinded eyes reveals that they can no longer carry on with the lies.
The chorus of the song repeats the word "lies," emphasizing the deceit present in the relationship. The second verse speaks of the singer's desire to leave the relationship and the desperate attempt to break all their ties, hoping to move on from the lies and deception. However, the singer recognizes that no matter how much they try to end the relationship, the other person will never love them back, and they will keep living with their stone heart alone. The song ends with the lines "I wanna die without pain, yeah / I wanna die, oh, without pain /All this deception I just can't maintain," showing that the singer is tired of the pain, lies, and deception and wishes to move on finally.
Overall, "Lies" tells a compelling story about the negative impact of deception in a relationship — ultimately, it causes pain and longing for a love that cannot be reciprocated.
Line by Line Meaning
Said the moon was ours, yeah
The singer and their partner believed they had something special, but it was just an illusion.
Said the moon was ours, the hell with the day
Their love only existed during the night, and they didn't care about anything else.
The sunlight is always gonna take love away
The harsh reality of the day always ruins what seems perfect during the night.
Brings up suspicions and alibi's
Daylight exposes the lies and deceit in their relationship.
But I can see blue, tear-blinded eyes
Despite their partner's lies, the artist can see the pain and sadness they're causing.
Lies, lies, lies, oh lies
The singer repeats the word 'lies' to emphasize how much their partner has deceived them.
I got a stone where my heart should be
The singer's heart is no longer capable of feeling love because of how much they've been hurt.
And nothing I do will make you love me
The artist has done everything to earn their partner's love, but it's never been enough.
I'd leave this time, break all my ties
The artist has had enough and is ready to leave everything behind.
Be no more use for any disguise
They won't hide their true feelings anymore.
I wanna die without pain, yeah
The singer is so hurt that they would rather die than continue living in pain.
I wanna die, oh, without pain
The artist repeats their desire for a painless death to emphasize how much they're suffering.
All this deception I just can't maintain
The singer realizes they can no longer keep up the facade of their relationship.
The sun, moon, the stars in the sky
The singer wishes for an end to all the lies and deceit in their life.
It'd hurt me too bad if you said goodbye
Despite everything, the singer still fears losing their partner.
Lies, lies, lies, oh lies
The song ends with the repetition of 'lies' to drive home how much the artist has been deceived.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANIEL QUINE AUERBACH, PATRICK JAMES CARNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind