Brand New Key - Melanie

Groovy!

"Brand New Key" is a pop song written by folk singer Melanie (Melanie Safka), which became a novelty hit in 1971-72. Taken from Melanie's album Gather Me, it was also known as "The Roller-skate Song". It was her biggest hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1971 and January 1972. It reached #1 in Canada and Australia, and #4 in the UK charts. Melanie's version of "Brand New Key" was featured in the 1997 film Boogie Nights.

The song is lighthearted in tone, sung from the viewpoint of a girl trying to attract the attention of a boy:

I got a brand new pair of roller skates
You got a brand new key
I think that we should get together and try them out you see
The roller-skates in question would have been quad skates which fit over ordinary footwear and were tightened with a screw. The girl's skates are presumably adequate, as she is already skating, but not perfect, as she needs the key: I roller skated to your door at daylight[...]
I'm okay alone, but you got something I need.

Controversy
Many listeners detected innuendo in the lyrics, with the key in its lock symbolizing sexual intercourse, or in phrases like "I go pretty far" and "I been all around the world".

Melanie has acknowledged the possibility of reading sexual innuendo in the song: "Brand New Key I wrote in about fifteen minutes one night. I thought it was cute; a kind of old thirties' tune. I guess a key and a lock have always been Freudian symbols, and pretty obvious ones at that. There was no deep serious expression behind the song, but people read things into it. They made up incredible stories as to what the lyrics said and what the song meant. In some places, it was even banned from the radio. My idea about songs is that once you write them, you have very little say in their life afterward. It's a lot like having a baby. You conceive a song, deliver it, and then give it as good a start as you can. After that, it's on its own. People will take it any way they want to take it."

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• brand
• new
• kew
• melanie
• roller
• skate
• skates

[spellingscontroleur]

Thumbs up if the commercial with that baby brought you here

[paultje22892]

jackass 3d brought me here with the scene of ryan dunn and his weelbarrow on skates!!

[vigenlona]

@spellingscontroleur me 2 xD

[TheScoopHere]

ImpeccableDiligence says -->We got to work in Melanies "Beautiful People"...---> Yes ImpeccableDiligence ---> Let's bring that back down the road here. Checklist that please.

[TheScoopHere]

The Dance of Lisa Willardson and "judge" Steve Jones to the "MUSIC" of an "INTEREST" that lies at an individual interpersonal level OVER THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN! This is a former DepDA prosecutor and sitting 8th District Family Court Judge and the fore-front issues(s) confronting the Legal System and its judiciary agents in Clark County Nevada...WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHILDREN..."you got something for me...I got something for you"

[TheScoopHere]

Brand New RollerSkates+Key=Dance that ALSO GETS REPLICATED at higher levels of justice in Nevada <i.e., State Bar of Nevada~Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline~State-level Prosecutorial Offices~The BETTER BUSINESS BUREA OF SO NEVADA.

[LineSurprise]

i know it from and loooove it;)

[trollkepr]

@trollkepr

[trollkepr]

I wonder how many people hearing this wonder what a key to a roller skate is. :)

[1961gj]

@hansonszoo You loved it! I'll be 50 this year before it's done., Love life

[CaseyLuvsYhuu258]

omyfreakingod this song played every day in art class when i was in elementary school god

[GrandMaster2350]

This song is frustratingly addictive...