The lyrics are wrong here, and by making the needed change, the meaning of this song becomes much more obvious. It's not "left and gone, 1964" but actually "left Angola, 1964" -- referring to Angola State Prison in Louisiana, one of the largest and most notoriously brutal prisons in the United States.
This song was originally written by Robert Pete Williams but popularized by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band. This Black Keys version is a cover of the Captain Beefheart version.
The song is told from the point of view of a man who has just been released from prison after 22 years. He's basically singing about the negative changes he has gone through in prison (grown so ugly) and about how the woman he loves can barely recognize him.
The lyrics are wrong here, and by making the needed change, the meaning of this song becomes much more obvious. It's not "left and gone, 1964" but actually "left Angola, 1964" -- referring to Angola State Prison in Louisiana, one of the largest and most notoriously brutal prisons in the United States.
This song was originally written by Robert Pete Williams but popularized by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band. This Black Keys version is a cover of the Captain Beefheart version.
The song is told from the point of view of a man who has just been released from prison after 22 years. He's basically singing about the negative changes he has gone through in prison (grown so ugly) and about how the woman he loves can barely recognize him.