It Ain't Over

Album: Dropout Boogie (2022)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This slow-burning blues rocker finds Dan Auerbach reflecting on the merits of splashing out cash on a love interest. He compares "breaking the bank" to win the apple of your eye to gambling. Though it's a "real long shot" and likely to break your heart, Auerbach urges the listener when smitten by someone to "lay your money down." Don't be discouraged when you feel like you're "playing a losing game," he adds, because dreams do come true. "It ain't over" until it's over and people do occasionally hit the jackpot and find true love.
  • Black Keys recorded "It Ain't Over" at Dan Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville. They released the song as the second single from Dropout Boogie on April 27, 2022.
  • Black Keys co-wrote the track with Reigning Sound frontman Greg Cartwright. Auerbach previously worked with Cartwright when he played guitar on Strychnine Dandelion, the 2010 debut album by another of Cartwright's projects, The Parting Gifts. He also co-wrote Dropout Boogie's first single, "Wild Child."
  • "It Ain't Over" opens with an electronic keyboard called an Optigan, which gives the song a deep groove. The strange instrument fascinated both Auerbach and his bandmate Patrick Carney: "That song started around a little loop from that toy organ," Carney told Uncut magazine. "Dan had a chorus, and Greg helped with the verses. It was one of the first songs we did - a hard one to cut - but we had to put it aside when we got inspired by some other stuff that we'd started playing around with."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Linda Perry

Linda PerrySongwriter Interviews

Songwriting Hall of Famer Linda Perry talks about her songs "What's Up" and "Beautiful," her songwriting process, and her move into film music.

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.