Album: Attack and Release (2008)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Along with the rest of the album, this song was produced by Danger Mouse, who is one half of Gnarls Barkley. The collaboration came about after Danger Mouse initially approached The Black Keys to write songs for a comeback album he was working on by rock & roll pioneer Ike Turner. The sessions got bogged down before eventually morphing into their own album with Danger Mouse at the controls. Singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach explained to The New Musical Express, "After recording our previous albums in a basement we were ready to go someone else. Danger Mouse came in as our collaborator. He has a real ear for melody and arrangement that was a big part of this record."
  • Turner passed away in December 2007. Danger Mouse told Rolling Stone that he was philosophical about how things turned out: "Hopefully people will get to hear a song or two that was finished from the sessions with Ike. But it's for the best that these songs became Black Keys songs. That's what they were meant to be."
  • "Lies" was one of the songs that got recorded by Ike Turner before he died.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Jimmy Webb

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Amy Lee of Evanescence

Amy Lee of EvanescenceSongwriter Interviews

The Evanescence frontwoman on the songs that have shifted meaning and her foray into kids' music.