Founded as "The Hippyshakes" in the 1980s, the band became "Shake" and was characterised by a strawberry logo. In 1991, Jimi Shields joined the band and suggested a name change to "Rollerskate Skinny", chosen from a line in The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger:
"She's quite skinny, like me, but nice skinny, rollerskate skinny."
Rollerskate Skinny consisted of Ken Griffin, Ger Griffin (no relation), Jimi Shields and Steve Murray. Shields wrote material and played guitar & drums for much of the band's history but left due to constant media references to his brother which threatened to distract from the band itself.
After the release of "Shoulder Voices" in 1993, to much stateside critical acclaim, Rollerskate Skinny's four original members signed with the Sire imprint of Warner Bros. Records. Following Shields' departure The album Horsedrawn Wishes was recorded and subsequently released in February, 1996 to a great deal of praise, particularly in the Irish music press.
All of those involved with Rollerskate Skinny have gone on to other musical projects: Ken Griffin moved to New York City and formed the band Kid Silver, releasing the album Dead City Sunbeams in 1999. In 2004 Ken joined members of the former Philadelphia band, Aspera, to form his current band, Favourite Sons who are signed to Vice Records. Since Rollerskate Skinny, Ger and Steve worked on the project Walker. Stevie since started the band Empire, now known as The Radio.
Angela Starling
Rollerskate Skinny Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and on to something that she's never find
after that day things got bigger than us
they got bigger than giants and given a life
I know magic finds its way
I've been blistered by the moonbeams the moonbeams
I have had much better time than these
better reasons and better excuses
don't have to decide
I love this compromise
you've finally got me swallowing miracles
the whole way down
then came the dawning
the waking the tasting and
the need to live longer
than ever before
all the wrongdoing after one wrongdoing
was clearer than history to her
I know magic finds its way
I've been blistered by the moonbeams
The lyrics of Rollerskate Skinny's Angela Starling speak of a woman named Angela who has lost all hope and is searching for something she may never find. The perspective of the song then shifts to the singer's experience with magic and the euphoric feeling it can bring. The lyrics continue with an acceptance of compromise and the swallowing of miracles, alluding to a deeper understanding of the magic referenced earlier. The song then circles back to Angela, who comes to a realization about her past wrongdoing, and the need to live longer than ever before.
Overall, the song seems to be about the search for something greater than oneself and how that search can bring both euphoria and regret. The lyrics suggest that there is a mystical element to life that can be both beautiful and terrifying, but ultimately, it is up to the individual to come to their own understanding and make peace with what they find.
Line by Line Meaning
Angela Starling was way past hope
Angela Starling had lost all hope.
and on to something that she's never find
She was looking for something that she knew she'd never find.
after that day things got bigger than us
After a certain point, the situation became overwhelming.
they got bigger than giants and given a life
It became something much larger than anyone could handle.
I know magic finds its way
The artist believes in the power of hope and magic.
I've been blistered by the moonbeams the moonbeams
The singer believes they have experienced the transformative power of hope and magic.
I have had much better time than these
The singer has experienced better times than the current situation.
better reasons and better excuses
There were better justifications for their actions in the past.
to ring a bell for the tiny man's uses
To cater to someone insignificant or unimportant.
don't have to decide
The artist may not have to make a certain decision.
I love this compromise
The singer favors a particular compromise.
you've finally got me swallowing miracles
The artist has been convinced of something extraordinary or miraculous.
the whole way down
The conviction is strong and all-encompassing.
then came the dawning
A realization suddenly occurred to the singer.
the waking the tasting and
The realization was felt and experienced deeply.
the need to live longer
The artist realized the importance of living a full life.
than ever before
The realization is profound and life-changing.
all the wrongdoing after one wrongdoing
All the actions that followed one mistake became clear.
was clearer than history to her
The singer gained a greater understanding of the recent past.
Contributed by Riley R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mousiedung
My fave song off of a very consistently amazing record!
Windflower Rainstorm
Rollerskate Skinny... this cd was a dollar at Ragin Records