Put A Flower In Your Pocket

Album: Yours, Dreamily (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The third single from The Arcs, the side project of Black Keys singer Dan Auerbach, is about a drug dealer peddling his wares on the mean streets, but the inspiration came from a surprisingly innocent source: a little girl. Leon Michels, the band's keyboardist, recalls to the Song Exploder music podcast how his daughter gave him the idea: "She was just picking flowers and she's like: 'I'm gonna to put a flower in my pocket.' And I felt like, oh, 'Put a Flower in Your Pocket,' that's like a cool Temptations' song title or something. So, I just gave that to Dan and then he turned it into something else."

    Auerbach added: "I just thought about somebody putting like a dime bag in their pocket and we turned it into basically a drug dealer anthem."
  • The song fell into place when Nashville session guitarist Russ Pahl played the guitar line and everyone else joined in. "We're all kind of orbiting around Russ," Auerbach explained. "This is a live performance. The bass, the guitar, the keyboard and the drums; it's live; there's no edits; second take. You know, this thing just happened; we didn't even have to think about it."
  • Auerbach said the band experimented with vintage gear to "get really modern sounds."
  • The animated music video from director Omar Juarez is the bloody tale of a boxer being hunted by a gangster. Auerbach told Rolling Stone the clip was "kind of ridiculous," but it aligns with the band's no-holds-barred philosophy: "I'm just having fun [and] basically making music with no responsibility."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

Dr. John

Dr. JohnSongwriter Interviews

The good doctor shares some candid insights on recording with Phil Spector and The Black Keys.