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.
Under The Gun
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm hoping it's all I need
Ran me down and the love was like a rolling stone
Only way out was to leave
On the road but I'm on the run
It ain't no fun when you're under the gun
We made a deal but the dealer done run
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
My darkest hour
Locked inside my lonely room
Counting the cracks on the wall
Pretty flowers, I still smell the sweet perfume
Then I make a mess of it all
On the road but I'm on the run
It ain't no fun when you're under the gun
We made a deal but the dealer done run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
I drive the interstate
Rode just like thunder should
I'd get out from under if I could
Calming the sun down
I'm under the gun now
On the road but I'm on the run
It ain't no fun when you're under the gun
We made a deal but the dealer done run
And I'm under the gun
On the road but I'm on the run
It ain't no fun when you're under the gun
We made a deal but the dealer done run
And I'm under the gun
Calming the sun down
I'm under the gun now
Calming the sun down
I'm under the gun now
The lyrics of the song Under The Gun by The Black Keys speak of a person who is going through tough times and is constantly running away from it. The first stanza sets the tone for the entire song, with the idea that the singer is leaving everything behind and hoping that what he owns is enough for him to survive. The following lines mention how love has treated him like a rolling stone, indicating that it was unsteady and uncertain. However, the only way to deal with it was to leave.
The second stanza talks about how the singer is locked in his room, in his darkest hour. It shows that he is struggling with something that's beyond his control. He then mentions how he is driving on the interstate and that he'd get out from under if he could. It is clear that he's trying his best to escape his troubles, but he's still finding it hard to keep up.
Overall, the song highlights the struggles of one's life and how difficult it is to tackle them. Despite the hardships, the singer chooses to keep going and not give up.
Line by Line Meaning
Leaving now, all I have is all I own
I'm leaving with only what I possess, hoping that it will be enough
I'm hoping it's all I need
I'm uncertain if my possessions will sustain me
Ran me down and the love was like a rolling stone
I was exhausted from a turbulent relationship that was unpredictable
Only way out was to leave
I had to end the relationship to find relief
On the road but I'm on the run
I'm traveling but full of anxiety
It ain't no fun when you're under the gun
It's not enjoyable to feel pressured or threatened
We made a deal but the dealer done run
I made an agreement but it wasn't honored
Call me at sun down
Only contact me late in the evening
My darkest hour
The worst moment of my life
Locked inside my lonely room
Trapped in solitude
Counting the cracks on the wall
Boredom has taken over my life
Pretty flowers, I still smell the sweet perfume
Despite my stagnant life, I can still appreciate beauty
Then I make a mess of it all
I ruin everything that brings me joy
I drive the interstate
I'm traveling along the highway
Rode just like thunder should
My journey was intense and thrilling
I'd get out from under if I could
I'm struggling to escape my problems
Calming the sun down
Trying to find peace in difficult situations
I'm under the gun now
I'm facing immense pressure in my current situation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Daniel Quine Auerbach, Patrick James Carney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
chameleon soul
Leaving now all I have is all I own
I'm hoping it's all I read
Ran me down and the love was like a rolling stone
Only way I was to leave
On the road but I'm on the run
Ain't no fun when you're running the gun
We made a deal but the dealer run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
My darkest thought
Locked inside my lonely room
Counting the cracks on the wall
Pretty flowers, I still smell the sweet perfume
And now I make a mess of it all
On the road but I'm on the run
Ain't no fun when you're running the gun
We made a deal but the dealer run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
I drive the interstate
Rode just like thunder should
I'd get out from under if I could
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
On the road but I'm on the run
Ain't no fun when you're running the gun
We made a deal but the dealer run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
On the road but I'm on the run
Ain't no fun when you're running the gun
We made a deal but the dealer run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
Vicente L
"Under The Gun"
Leaving now all I have is all I own
I'm hoping it's all I read
Ran me down and the love was like a rolling stone
Only way out was to leave
On the road but I'm on the run
Ain't no fun when you're running the gun
We made a deal but the dealer run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
My darkest thought
Locked inside my lonely room
Counting the cracks on the wall
Pretty flowers, I still smell the sweet perfume
And now I make a mess of it all
On the road but I'm on the run
Ain't no fun when you're running the gun
We made a deal but the dealer run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
I drive the interstate
Rode just like thunder should
I'd get out from under if I could
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
On the road but I'm on the run
Ain't no fun when you're running the gun
We made a deal but the dealer run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
On the road but I'm on the run
Ain't no fun when you're running the gun
We made a deal but the dealer run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
Class Act Racing
On the road but I'm on the run
It ain't no fun when you’re under the gun
We made a deal but the dealer done run
And I'm under the gun
Call me at sun down
I'm under the gun now
" The Dealer Won"
samuel Cooper
Discovered these guys in middle school, now in college and they are still making bangers, hell yeah
coolguylyn
Hell yeah brother, these guys ROCK!!!
Airsoft Luke
Now I’m in college lmao
MyYoutubeNameYo
Discovered them in early 2012, just before college started, and I agree that they’re still making bangers even now! : )
Tom Hodge
I first heard them when I was a sophomore in high school in 2002. My friend used to download songs off of limewire I always hook me up with like random mixes. It had do the rump and heavy soul on it .I'm in my mid 30's now and I still blast all their music at work....takes me back. It's crazy when a band has the same effect on people who are going through the same things in life 15 to 20 years apart , it's definitely timeless music 🔥😎
Ryan Ralph
Discovered them when I was 21. Now Im 31 and they have been my favorite band the entire time.
spike sanders
I'm not hearing any bad songs on this album. Everything sounds good
coolguylyn
The only "bad song" in my opinion would be Get Yourself Together. I don't hate it, it just doesn't hit the same way the others do.
Jack Angelo
The album is a masterpiece....all the songs are great!
PlastisinNightmare
so hard to choose a favorite from this album, all of it is so frickin amazing!