P… Read Full Bio ↴Here is some background information on "Next Girl" from Songfacts.com.
Patrick Carney was in a really bad place, in the tail end of a crumbling relationship. The story goes that Dan Auerbach wrote this tune for Carney to acknowledge the fact that he knew what his partner was going through with the divorce. "Oh I wrote that song before," Auerbach told Mojo magazine: "It wasn't about him. I wrote that song a year and a half before we recorded Brothers, around the time I was working on the solo record stuff. It just happened to be the first song we recorded for Brothers."
Next Girl
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It ain't always the taste
My ex girl, she had such a, such a beautiful face
I wanted love but not for myself
But for the girl so she could
So she could love herself
Oh my next girl
I made mistakes back then, I'll never do it again
Oh my next girl
She'll be nothing like my ex girl
It was a painful death, nah
I got a second chance
Oh her beautiful face and her wicked ways
And I'm praying for her beautiful face everyday
All that work, over, over so much time
If I, if I think too hard, I might lose my mind
Oh my next girl, yeah
Will be nothing like, my ex girl
I made mistakes back then
I'll never do it again
With my next girl
She'll be nothing like my ex girl
It was a painful dance and I
I got a second chance, yeah
Next girl, yeah
My next girl
The lyrics to "Next Girl" by The Black Keys describe a man reflecting on his past relationship with his ex-girlfriend, who had a beautiful face but ultimately caused him pain. He admits to making mistakes in the past and vows to never repeat them with his next girlfriend, who he hopes will be nothing like his ex. The song is a cautionary tale about not settling for someone just because of their physical appearance and instead valuing inner beauty and self-love.
The opening lyrics suggest that appearances can be deceiving and that sometimes things that look good on the surface may not be satisfying on deeper levels. The singer then goes on to describe his ex-girlfriend's physical beauty, but notes that he wanted her to love herself. This may suggest that his ex-girlfriend had insecurities or lacked self-confidence, and he wanted her to find emotional fulfillment beyond their relationship.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's desire to find a partner who embodies different qualities than his ex-girlfriend. He acknowledges his mistakes from the past and expresses gratitude for a second chance at love. The mention of a "painful dance" may allude to the ups and downs of his previous relationship, while the promise of a "second chance" hints at a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, the look of the cake, it ain't
Things aren't always what they seem on the surface
It ain't always the taste
Something that appears good may not be enjoyable
My ex girl, she had such a, such a beautiful face
I was attracted to my ex-girlfriend's appearance
I wanted love but not for myself
I desired love for the benefit of my ex-girlfriend
But for the girl so she could
So she could learn to love herself
Oh my next girl
Referring to a future romantic partner
Will be nothing like, my ex girl
I seek someone who is different from my ex-girlfriend
I made mistakes back then, I'll never do it again
I acknowledge my past mistakes and vow to not repeat them
Oh her beautiful face and her wicked ways
My ex-girlfriend was attractive but had negative behavior
And I'm praying for her beautiful face everyday
I still think about my ex-girlfriend's appearance often
All that work, over, over so much time
The effort and time invested in the relationship is now gone
If I, if I think too hard, I might lose my mind
I need to avoid dwelling on the past to maintain my mental health
With my next girl
Future romantic partner
It was a painful dance and I
The relationship with my ex-girlfriend was difficult
I got a second chance, yeah
I am hopeful for a better relationship in the future
Next girl, yeah
Referring to a future romantic partner
My next girl
Referring to a future romantic partner
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Daniel Auerbach, Patrick Carney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Mary-eo7ir
For the mobile kidz
The look of the cake
It ain't always the taste
My ex girl she had
Such a beautiful face
I wanted love
But not for myself
But for the girl
So she could love herself
My next girl
Will be nothing like my ex girl
I made mistakes back then
I'll never do it again
With my next girl
She'll be nothing like my ex girl
That was a painful dance
Now I got a second chance
A beautiful face
And a wicked way
And I'm paying for her
Beautiful face every day
All that work
Over so much time If I think too hard
I might lose my mind
My next girl
Will be nothing like my ex girl
I made mistakes back then
I'll never do it again
With my next girl
She'll be nothing like my ex girl
That was a painful dance
Now I got a second chance
@SansRedGoddess
The Black Keys "Next Girl" Lyrics
The look of the cake
It ain't always the taste
My ex girl she had
Such a beautiful face
I wanted love
But not for myself
But for the girl
So she could love herself
My next girl
Will be nothing like my ex girl
I made mistakes back then
I'll never do it again
With my next girl
She'll be nothing like my ex girl
That was a painful dance
Now I got a second chance
A beautiful face
And a wicked way
And I'm paying for her
Beautiful face every day
All that work
Over so much time If I think too hard
I might lose my mind
My next girl
Will be nothing like my ex girl
I made mistakes back then
I'll never do it again
With my next girl
She'll be nothing like my ex girl
That was a painful dance
Now I got a second chance
@jojorockets7452
"I wanted love, but not for myself, but for the girl so she could, so she could love herself." Definitely one of the best lyrics ever
@yelizaveta1278
Truly..
@michaelzehetmaier9635
Detection at best
@timhankins6884
Made me realize why I loved her. It wasn't for me but....
You have to love yourself before you can love someone else.
@joejacquesschulz8514
What I heard "Cobra Tate" sees himself that way...🤣🤣🤣
@RegGalloway-im1ys
Comment above says it all
@Drunkraft
Like most people I read the subtitles and thought they were hysterical, but fun fact the video was directed and sent to the Black Keys and they legitimately hated it and Dan said the only way he would approve it is if he can put this disclaimer on it dissing the video thinking they would be deterred and move on away from the project, and they were like lol ok, slapped the disclaimer on there, sent it out anyways and called it a day
@alexander63736
sauce?
@Drunkraft
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/31/133276978/the-fresh-air-interview-the-black-keys
They talk about it at 24:55. you should listen to the whole thing though its hilarious
@TheBSishere
looking at their other music videos and reading the back of their album "the big come up" (the vinyl). this type of humor seemed present, and they also have a history of not giving interviewers the info they want. I wonder if this music video was meant to be like this, and the whole thing was/is a front.