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.
The Breaks
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The speaker and listen with a sparkle
In your eye as though you might be thinking
'Gee this is the most wonderful thing
I've ever heard in all my life'
Back in the day, we were eye to eye
The thought of you had me runnin' wild
But hey, hey, hey I still love you so
Oh when we met you know the sun did shine
From your eyes back into mine
Oh if the sun is shinin' no more
Hey, hey, I still love you so
I'll beg the moon and the stars above
Bring me back my, that gal I love
I know you're gone, you're gone for sure
But hey, hey, hey, I still love you so
The Black Keys' "The Breaks" is a slow-burning blues song that deals with the theme of lost love. The song starts with an instruction to the listener to lean forward and pay attention to the singer with a hopeful attitude. It hints at the fact that what the singer is about to say is something special and that it has the power to move the listener emotionally. The next lines speak of a romantic entanglement that happened in the past. The singer reminisces about a time when they were in love, and everything seemed perfect. But, unfortunately, love is an unpredictable thing, and it fades away, leaving a void in the heart that is not easily filled.
The chorus section of the song is all about the singer's willingness to get their lost love back. The lyrics express the idea that the singer is ready to do anything to get their love back, to the extent of making a request to the moon and the stars above. Here, the moon and stars symbolize the vastness of space as a metaphor for a vastness of longing.
Overall, the song is an autobiographical account of a lost love by the songwriter Dan Auerbach that has universal appeal. It is a melancholic reflection on the impermanence of love and our inability to control its lifespan.
Line by Line Meaning
Lean forward slightly, look straight at
Show your interest by lending a keen ear
The speaker and listen with a sparkle
Listen to the singer with a twinkle in your eye
In your eye as though you might be thinking
Let your eyes express your thoughts
'Gee this is the most wonderful thing
Give the artist the impression that the speech is amazing
I've ever heard in all my life'
Create the effect that the speech is something that will stick with you forever
Back in the day, we were eye to eye
In the past, we shared an intimate connection
The thought of you had me runnin' wild
Thinking of you made me feel alive and excited
They say love lost will never grow
It's commonly believed that a love that's ended cannot be revived
But hey, hey, hey I still love you so
Despite everything, I still love you deeply
Oh when we met you know the sun did shine
When we first met, it was as if the world was brighter
From your eyes back into mine
Our love was visibly mutual
Oh if the sun is shinin' no more
Even if the love and happiness we shared is gone
Hey, hey, I still love you so
My love for you persists despite the end of our romance
I'll beg the moon and the stars above
I'll make a desperate appeal for your return
Bring me back my, that gal I love
Bring back the woman who holds my heart
I know you're gone, you're gone for sure
I understand that you're out of my reach
But hey, hey, hey, I still love you so
In spite of this, I can't help but love you deeply
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ilianna ts.
[Intro]
"Lean forward slightly, Look straight at
The speaker and listen with a sparkle
In your eye as though you might be thinking
'gee this is the most wonderful thing
I've ever heard in all my life'"
[Verse 1]
Back in the day, we were eye to eye
The thought of you had me running wild
They say love lost will never grow
But hey, hey, hey I still love you so
[Verse 2]
Oh when we met you know the sun did shine
From your eyes back into mine
Oh if the sun is shining no more
Hey, hey, I still love you so
[Verse 3]
I'll beg the moon and the stars above
Bring me back my, that gal I love
I know you're gone, you're gone for sure
But hey, hey, hey, I still love you so
Raq Marquez
Lean forward slightly, look straight at
The speaker and listen with a sparkle
In your eye as though you might be thinking
'Gee this is the most wonderful thing
I've ever heard in all my life'
Back in the day, we were eye to eye
The thought of you had me runnin' wild
They say love lost will never grow
But hey, hey, hey I still love you so
Oh when we met you know the sun did shine
From your eyes back into mine
Oh if the sun is shinin' no more
Hey, hey, I still love you so
I'll beg the moon and the stars above
Bring me back my, that gal I love
I know you're gone, you're gone for sure
But hey, hey, hey, I still love you so
tropicwave1
The Breaks
The Black Keys
Produced by Patrick Carney
Album: The Big Come Up
[Intro]
"Lean forward slightly, Look straight at
The speaker and listen with a sparkle
In your eye as though you might be thinking
'Gee this is the most wonderful thing
I've ever heard in all my life'"
[Verse 1]
Back in the day, we were eye to eye
The thought of you had me running wild
They say love lost will never grow
But hey, hey, hey I still love you so
[Verse 2]
Oh when we met you know the sun did shine
From your eyes back into mine
Oh if the sun is shining no more
Hey, hey, I still love you so
[Verse 3]
I'll beg the moon and the stars above
Bring me back my, that gal I love
I know you're gone, you're gone for sure
But hey, hey, hey, I still love you so
2008 â„— Black Keys
Bryan Briggs
This is basically blues with a gritty urban edge...and,I absolutely LOVE it!!!
Sasquatch
Bryan Briggs it’s called the magical guitar effect of Fuzz.
Arne Admiraal
I let my dad listen to this ( he's old) and he said it reminded him of Jimi Hendrix. Biggest compliment you can get I'd say.
Marija KavaliauskaitÄ—
Arne Admiraal I've listened this with my dad too. He also said that they sound just like Jimi Hendirx.
Arne Admiraal
TheAnarchy K
cool
Hearthis
Arne Admiraal It's because it has the Foxy Lady kinda note structure, Also it sounds likes like hes useing some spity pickups like you find on a strat
Chaos
Jimi Hendrix is over rated.
doleph1
This is the song that hooked me! I heard this and immediately, I knew I found a new favorite band! Good old blues with a modern edge, you just can't beat this.
nodresiak
This is the kind of music that you can't help keeping time with your head or feet. It will make you groove.
Ilianna ts.
[Intro]
"Lean forward slightly, Look straight at
The speaker and listen with a sparkle
In your eye as though you might be thinking
'gee this is the most wonderful thing
I've ever heard in all my life'"
[Verse 1]
Back in the day, we were eye to eye
The thought of you had me running wild
They say love lost will never grow
But hey, hey, hey I still love you so
[Verse 2]
Oh when we met you know the sun did shine
From your eyes back into mine
Oh if the sun is shining no more
Hey, hey, I still love you so
[Verse 3]
I'll beg the moon and the stars above
Bring me back my, that gal I love
I know you're gone, you're gone for sure
But hey, hey, hey, I still love you so