Forming in 1995 after a chance meeting in New York City club The Knitting Factory, the band's first release was the 1995 Human Pin Cushion EP on Dedicated Records. After some personnel changes the band released an eponymous EP on Motel Records in 1996 that Rolling Stone said "shows how pop culture and high culture can bring everyone to the same place." Original members Steve Calhoon and Rick Lee left the band soon after making this recording, going on to form the band Enon. Soon after their departures, Skeleton Key inked a deal with Capitol Records and put out the critically acclaimed (and Grammy nominated [for artwork]) Fantastic Spikes Through Balloon in 1997. The band then toured the US and Europe with a diverse assortment of acts (Melvins, Girls vs. Boys, Cibo Matto, The Jesus Lizard, They Might Be Giants, Morphine, Brainiac, Primus) before headlining their own US tour. After two gruelling years on the road and a half-finished album recorded, Chris Maxwell departed, leaving the future of Skeleton Key in jeopardy. (From Ipecac Records)
Eventually the band, which had by now been reduced to a lone Erik Sanko, signed with Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings to release Obtainium in 2002. With a revamped lineup the band hit the road again, playing several successful tours with bands such as Tomahawk, Melvins, Alien Ant Farm and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. That lineup of Sanko, Craig LeBlang, Ben Clapp and Sean Sankey recorded and released the five song EP The Lyons Quintette on Do Tell Records and a live album (Skeleton Key Live at Metro) which is available exclusively through eMusic.
Sankey amicably left the band at the end of 2006 and new drummer Bob Vacarelli was recruited just days before the band headed out on tour with Chemlab and USSA in late 2007.
Official Website: http://www.skeletonkey.org
Big Teeth
Skeleton Key Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Behind bars of pink, and walls of white
But inside this house, must be a hole
Where words leak out, and loose control
He he. Ha ha. Hey Hey Hey.
Let's see the big teeth again today.
Let's set it loose. Inflate those lungs
I've found a key. I've found a file.
Bust out of jail, with a toothy smile.
He he. Ha ha. Hey Hey Hey.
Let's see the big teeth again today.
The lyrics of Skeleton Key's Big Teeth are a commentary on the facade that people put up to maintain a certain image, but at the same time, reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings. The pearly whites of a person are often seen as a symbol of cleanliness and purity, but are in reality locked away behind bars of pink and walls of white. The lyrics imply that there is a hole in the facade, a crack in the mask, where the real emotions leak out and lose control. The chorus, "Let's see the big teeth again today" is a call to let loose, to let the real emotions and feelings show, to break out of the mold and be who you really are.
Line by Line Meaning
These pearly greys, are locked up tight
The singer is referring to someone's teeth which are white and seemingly well-kept. However, they sense that there is more behind this exterior that is being hidden away.
Behind bars of pink, and walls of white
The teeth are surrounded by gums and facial features. These features are what mostly hides the true nature of the person possessing these teeth.
But inside this house, must be a hole
Despite the facade surrounding these teeth, there's something brewing within that eventually comes to the surface.
Where words leak out, and loose control
The artist is suggesting that whatever is hidden behind this exterior will soon reveal itself through the person's speech and/or actions.
He he. Ha ha. Hey Hey Hey.
This is the chorus of the song which repeats after every other verse. It could be the artist's way of trying to cope with or laugh off the situation.
Let's see the big teeth again today.
The singer wants to keep seeing the person's true nature being revealed. They want the person to let their inhibitions down and be themselves without hiding behind social cues.
Those porcelain rungs, conceal a tongue
The teeth are referred to as porcelain rungs which implies their artificial and polished nature. Meanwhile, the tongue which is what reveals the person's true nature is hidden behind the facade created by these teeth.
Let's set it loose. Inflate those lungs
The singer wants to encourage the artist to let their guard down and reveal who they truly are through their speech.
I've found a key. I've found a file.
The artist has found a way to help the person 'unlock' their true self by breaking through the exterior facade they wear.
Bust out of jail, with a toothy smile.
The singer wants to encourage the listener to break free of the constraints placed on them by social norms and be themselves without restraint or hesitation.
Contributed by Cameron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.