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.
She's Long Gone
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She don't care what any man say
You can watch her strut
but keep your mouth shut
Or it's ruination day
Well, now she's long, long gone
Oh now she's longYeah, now she's long gone
Like Moses through the corn
Well her eyes, they're rubies and pearls
And she's not made like those other girls
Well, her lashes flap and they smack men back
Like springs bouncing off of her curls
Oh, now she's long, long gone
Na na na na, now she's long
Long gone
Like Moses through the corn, rock on
The Black Keys's She's Long Gone is a song about a woman who is powerful despite the expectations and beliefs of men around her. The lyrics subvert the idea of a woman as a submissive and docile being who has to conform to societal conventions set by men. Instead, the woman is made to "blow you away," meaning that she has the power to captivate and dominate those around her. The lyrics also suggest that the woman is not interested in the opinions of men. She does not care "what any man say[s]," and the only option is to watch her without commenting. The suggestion is that a man who speaks against her will be met with "ruination day," so it's best to keep quiet.
The second verse of the song describes the woman's physical appearance. Her eyes are compared to "rubies and pearls," implying that she is valuable and rare. She is not "made like those other girls" in that she doesn't conform to traditional standards of beauty or behavior. Her lashes are described as flapping and smacking men back, suggesting that when men try to objectify or limit her, she lashes back like a spring bouncing off of her curls. The chorus repeats that the woman is long gone, like Moses through the corn, reinforcing her power and independence.
One interesting aspect of the song is that it draws on biblical imagery. The comparison of the woman to Moses, who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, suggests that she is leading herself out of societal slavery and oppression. The lyrics also imply that she is a force of nature, like the corn that Moses moved through. The song's bluesy, rock-inspired sound echoes the narrative of the lyrics, making it a captivating and powerful track.
Line by Line Meaning
She was made to blow you away
She is an extraordinary woman who is capable of leaving a remarkable impression on anyone who meets her
She don't care what any man say
She is a strong-willed woman who doesn't care about anyone else's opinion about her
You can watch her strut but keep your mouth shut
You can enjoy watching her walk with confidence, but it's best to not say anything that might offend or upset her
Or it's ruination day
If you make the mistake of speaking out of turn, it will lead to disastrous consequences
Well, now she's long, long gone
She has left and is no longer around
Oh now she's long
She has been gone for a while now
Yeah, now she's long gone
She has been gone for quite some time
Like Moses through the corn
She disappeared without a trace, just like how Moses disappeared into the cornfields
Well her eyes, they're rubies and pearls
Her eyes are beautiful and precious, like rubies and pearls
And she's not made like those other girls
She is unique and different from other women
Well, her lashes flap and they smack men back
Her eyelashes flutter in a way that can intimidate or even hurt men who get too close
Like springs bouncing off of her curls
Her curly hair bounces like springs and adds to her attractive appearance
Na na na na, now she's long
The singer repeats that she has been gone for a while now
Long gone
She is no longer around and it's unlikely that she'll come back
Like Moses through the corn, rock on
The singer encourages his audience to keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles come their way, just like how Moses walked through the cornfields
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANIEL AUERBACH, PATRICK CARNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ElAreAitch
She was made to blow you away
She don't care what any man say
You can watch her strut
but keep your mouth shut
Or it's ruination day
Well, now she's long, long gone
Oh now she's long
Yeah, now she's long gone
Like Moses through the corn
Well her eyes, they're rubies and pearls
And she's not made like those other girls
Well, her lashes flap and they smack men back
Like springs bouncing off of her curls
Oh, now she's long, long gone
Na na na na, now she's long
Long gone
Like Moses through the corn, rock on
@giavannasebastiano7261
She was made to blow you away
She don't care what any man say
You can watch her strut
But keep your mouth shut
Or it's ruination day
Well, now she's long, long gone
Oh, now she's long
Yeah, now she's long gone
Like Moses through the corn
Well her eyes, they're rubies and pearls
And she's not made like those other girls
Well, her lashes flap and they smack men back
Like springs bouncing off of her curls
Oh, now she's long, long gone
Na-na-na-na, now she's long
Long gone
Like Moses through the corn, rock on
@scottmoussou4531
This is the SHIT! Raw, gritty and dirty, man you got to love it!!
@WallaceTheRed
One of my all time favorites.
@FreedominLove711
I love your red hair
@phillippowell7905
I wish my life was the way this song sounds.
@OtsileM
Hang in there, lol
@joshuabertram6332
MASTERPIECE
@TheBladeOfTerror
u rite
@mehmetegegokdeniz2571
The best band in the world!
@frodomondo
You just simply cant stop your foot from tapping or your head shaking - soooo groovy
@OtsileM
That solo at the end sounds like something out a harmonica. Boy is it magical. Wish the Black Keys would sound like this again.