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
Dear Reader
Skeleton Key Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To anyone it might concern
I found the bleeder
And cauterized it with a sterile burn
It stopped beating
The chapter's coming to an end
But keep reading
There's a question that I must amend
Is there nothing I can say
To make you come around my way
Dear reader
The coffin and the killing jar
A box of cedar
The size of a human heart
So dear reader
Then if there's nothing that I've overlooked
Then I'll leave her
Between the pages of this book
Is there nothing that I can do
You know I'm still in love with you
Is there nothing I can say
To make you come around my way
Is there nothing that I could do
You know I'm still in love with you
Dear reader
This is my final scrawl
The make believers
Will die unhappily after all
The opening lines of Dear Reader by Skeleton Key set the tone for a haunting and introspective song that explores themes of loss, heartache and the power of words. Addressing an unknown reader, the lyricist declares that they have found "the bleeder" and stopped its beating by cauterizing it with a sterile burn. This metaphorically refers to a wound or source of pain that the writer has finally managed to heal or put an end to. The chapter of their life that was defined by this pain is coming to a close, but they encourage the reader to keep reading as there is a question that needs answering.
As the song progresses, the lyricist reveals more about the nature of their pain and the object of their love. They speak of a coffin and a killing jar, a box the size of a human heart, and make reference to a woman who they must leave between the pages of the book. Despite their efforts to heal and move on from this pain, the lyricist confesses their continued love for the object of their affection, and repeatedly asks if there is anything they can say or do to make this person come back to them.
The final lines of the song are a somber reflection on the idea of "make believers" and how they may die unhappily after all. This could refer to a sense of disillusionment or disappointment with the idea of belief or hope, with the lyricist acknowledging that sometimes pain is just an inevitable part of the human experience.
Overall, Dear Reader is a powerful and emotive song that explores complex and universal themes in a deeply personal way.
Line by Line Meaning
To anyone it might concern
I am addressing this message to whoever may be reading it.
I found the bleeder
And cauterized it with a sterile burn
It stopped beating
I found the source of a negative situation and dealt with it in a harsh but effective way, putting an end to it.
The chapter's coming to an end
But keep reading
There's a question that I must amend
This part of the story is almost over, but there is still an important question that must be addressed.
Is there nothing I can say
To make you come around my way
I am still hoping to reconcile with you, and wondering if there is anything I can say to make that happen.
Dear reader
The coffin and the killing jar
A box of cedar
The size of a human heart
I am describing macabre objects that hold significance in the story, which symbolize past events or emotions.
So dear reader
Then if there's nothing that I've overlooked
Then I'll leave her
Between the pages of this book
If there is nothing left for me to do or say, I will accept that and move on, leaving my feelings behind and moving on to the next chapter of my life.
Is there nothing that I can do
You know I'm still in love with you
Is there nothing I can say
To make you come around my way
Is there nothing that I could do
You know I'm still in love with you
I am still struggling to come to terms with my feelings for you and hoping that there is something I can do or say to win you back, but I am also starting to accept the possibility that it might not happen.
Dear reader
This is my final scrawl
The make believers
Will die unhappily after all
This is the final message I will leave behind, and I am warning those who do not believe in my story that they will not be satisfied with how it ends.
Contributed by Lucas B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.