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.
Cradle Burns
Rollerskate Skinny Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
racing to corner of your mind that hates the world
burn the dress and hang it in the tree
count the birds that see the shine of hope without disease
I am the son of a mother and a man
but the monkey is wheezing like a whipped old man
the clowns are off feeding the fat to the flow
right upon the wake the cradle burns
return with hands of terror to rub my feet together
it's alright psychology of blame
has one cheek an eye for any eye and leaps of faith to tame
I am the son of a mother and a man but the monkey is wheezing like a whipped old man the clowns are off feeding the fat to the flow and here come the servant to shovel bones
funny funny funny how the well gets water when the fever flows and by the charge of the chance we can race the dance to Babylon
every day a rat falls from the sky
to chase the snow around the room and tell you you're for flies every day a cradle burn will fall
if you drown all the days you wasted your hands on a whip without a spine
I am the son of a mother a man and the horsedrawn wishes have been sent on their way down a hole where the cradle burns go here comes the servants to shovel bones
The lyrics to Rollerskate Skinny's song "Cradle Burns" seem to convey a sense of despair, chaos, and confusion. The singer is aware of the burning cradle, which symbolizes the loss of innocence and a turning point into a more harsh and unforgiving reality. They suggest that this event is racing to the corner of the person's mind that hates the world, indicating that this individual may be feeling overwhelmed by negative thoughts and emotions.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more abstract and fragmented. There are references to a monkey wheezing like a whipped old man and clowns feeding the fat to the flow. These images suggest a sense of disorientation and instability, as if the singer is struggling to keep their bearings in a surreal and sometimes menacing world.
The final verse suggests that the burning cradle is a recurring event that happens every day, and that the singer is aware of the ways in which people can waste their lives chasing after illusions or being held back by their own fears and anxieties. The final line, "here comes the servants to shovel bones," seems to suggest that there are forces at work that are indifferent to human suffering and are simply carrying out their tasks without regard for the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
It's alright it's just the cradle burns
Don't worry, it's just the destruction of innocence and purity that's happening.
racing to corner of your mind that hates the world
The chaos and destruction are fueled by negative thoughts and emotions that reside within.
burn the dress and hang it in the tree
Symbolically burn away the past and hang it as a reminder to always move forward.
count the birds that see the shine of hope without disease
Focus on the positive things that give hope, despite the illness and negativity around.
I am the son of a mother and a man
I am a human being with both female and male influence in my upbringing.
but the monkey is wheezing like a whipped old man
However, despite being human, the animalistic tendencies within me are struggling and weak.
the clowns are off feeding the fat to the flow
The foolish people are blindly contributing to the chaos and destruction.
here comes the servants to shovel bones
Others are mindlessly collecting and cleaning up the aftermath of destruction.
right upon the wake the cradle burns
As soon as one opportunity for innocence and purity arises, it is destroyed.
return with hands of terror to rub my feet together
The anxiety and fear of destruction constantly returns and affects one's actions.
it's alright psychology of blame
It's okay to assign blame for the chaos, as it helps to understand and prevent it from happening again.
has one cheek an eye for any eye and leaps of faith to tame
Retaliation is not always the answer and it takes courage and faith to prevent destruction.
funny funny funny how the well gets water when the fever flows
It's ironic that sometimes good things come out of bad situations.
and by the charge of the chance we can race the dance to Babylon
By taking risks and embracing change, we can move forward and dance our way to a better place.
every day a rat falls from the sky
Every day brings unexpected, negative events.
to chase the snow around the room and tell you you're for flies
These events cause chaos and remind you of your mortality and insignificance.
every day a cradle burn will fall
Every day, innocence and purity is lost.
if you drown all the days you wasted your hands on a whip without a spine
Don't waste your time on things that don't have a strong foundation or morals, or else you'll suffer in the end.
and the horsedrawn wishes have been sent on their way down a hole where the cradle burns go
The hopeful aspirations have been lost and sent towards destruction.
here comes the servants to shovel bones
Once again, others are collecting and cleaning up the aftermath of destruction, unable to stop it from happening in the first place.
Contributed by Isaac N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jollyjetsetter
Came across this album in the mid 1990s whilst working in South Korea, where their board of censors normally meant that music deemed inappropriate for the nation's consumption never made the shelves. Was eternally glad that this disc passed their board of censors, and was able to strike up a lifelong attachment to the album as a direct result
Anonymous Cosmonaut
greatest album ever written... post... album recording capability .......of things that we can remember... or ... would ever. .. w.a.n.t. to
cursed one
this slaps
tbwatch88
if i were a dj i should dj the hades out of this track.