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.
Stack Shot Billy
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the head
Stack made sure Billy Lyons
Was dead
.45 pistol down in Stack's right hand
Sent him away to the promised land
Stack shot Billy .45
Billy laid down and died
Stack Lee had himself an
Evil brain
Loved his gun and his
Sweet cocaine
But Stack got quiet when
Shadows fell
Cause he knew soon enough
He'd burn in hell
The Black Keys's song "Stack Shot Billy" is a musical retelling of the legendary murder ballad "Stagger Lee," a song that has been passed on and adapted for over a century. The song tells the story of a confrontation between two gamblers, Stack Lee and Billy Lyons, which resulted in Stack shooting Billy in the back of the head. The lyrics depict Stack Lee as a ruthless and violent character who "loved his gun and his sweet cocaine." He is aware of his own wickedness, realizing that he will eventually "burn in hell." The song concludes with Stack's arrest and punishment for his crime.
The lyrics present a visceral image of violence, using evocative language such as "Stack shot Billy .45" and "sent him away to the promised land" to describe the murder. The song is structured as a call-and-response, with the lead vocalist (Dan Auerbach) singing Stack's lines and the backing vocals responding with Billy's. The music itself is bluesy and raw, with a driving guitar riff and a pounding rhythm section that matches the intensity of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Stack shot Billy in the back
Stack Lee fatally shot Billy Lyons from behind
Of the head
The bullet hit Billy in the head
Stack made sure Billy Lyons
Stack was determined to kill Billy Lyons
Was dead
Billy Lyons was killed by Stack
.45 pistol down in Stack's right hand
Stack was holding a .45 pistol in his right hand when he shot Billy
Sent him away to the promised land
Stack sent Billy to the afterlife by killing him
Stack shot Billy .45
Stack shot Billy with a .45 caliber pistol
Billy laid down and died
Billy fell down and died after being shot by Stack
Stack Lee had himself an
Stack Lee possessed
Evil brain
A wicked mind
Loved his gun and his
Stack was fond of his firearm and
Sweet cocaine
addicted to cocaine
But Stack got quiet when
However, Stack became quiet when
Shadows fell
Night time approached
Cause he knew soon enough
Because he was aware
He'd burn in hell
He would be punished in the afterlife for his actions
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANIEL QUINE AUERBACH, PATRICK JAMES CARNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
strato
Stack Shot Billy"
Stack shot Billy in the back of the head,
Stack made sure Billy Lyons was dead,
.45 pistol down in Stack's right hand,
Send him away to the promised land,
Stack shot Billy,
.45,
Stack shot Billy,
Billy lay down and died,
Stack Lee had himself an evil brain,
Loved his gun and his sweet cocaine,
Stack got quiet when the shadows fell,
Knew soon enough that he'd burn in hell,
Stack shot Billy,
.45,
Stack shot Billy,
Billy lay down and died,
Stack shot Billy in the back of the head,
Stack made sure Billy Lyons was dead,
.45 pistol down in Stack's right hand,
Send him away to the promised land,
Stack shot Billy,
.45,
Stack shot Billy,
Billy lay down and died.
AnotherDave
Stack shot Billy in the back of the head
Stack made sure Billy Lyons was dead
.45 pistol down in Stack's right hand
Sent him away to the promised land
Stack shot Billy
.45
Stack shot Billy
Billy laid down and died
Stack Lee had himself an evil brain
Loved his gun and his sweet cocaine
(But) Stack got quiet when the shadows fell
(Cause he) knew soon enough he'd burn in hell
Chris Clark
A relatively unknown song; yet, such a masterpiece. Wish The Black Keys would come back to their roots.
your mom
Listen to the new song. Came back to their roots, but it's pretty weak
DrNickRiveria
@your mom too polished
your mom
@DrNickRiveria as i said, it is weak
Solstice Dame
Amen!
Desert Rain Frog
@DrNickRiveria That's because they're not recording in an abandoned General Tire factory in Akron, Ohio anymore. Being utterly destitute had an impact on their sound.
Nick Schrombeck
Recently discovered this song. What a nice tune! Keep getting that chorus, and really the guitar riff, stuck in my head.
Crazy how different The Black Keys used to be from someone who only learned of them after El Camino!
C
If you like this song, check out the live version on Letterman
andrew potter
welcome friend, those who know, simply know
Alec Azadi-Hocking
Who would’ve thought that a bar fight in St. Louis would’ve led to so many awesome blues songs? Even today you have bands like the Black Keys and solo artists like Nick Cave writing about it.