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
Machine Screw
Skeleton Key Lyrics
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You feel the heat from underneath the belly of my bride
The rubber grips and leather hips, the dulcinea of apocalypse
The black plume of perfume ushers in the eclipse
And I will dream in steel
Of it's taste and of it's feel
The greasy sheen of gasoline, she clears her throat like a guillotine
Narcotic, autoerotic, intoxicating and mean
And I will dream in steel
Of it's taste and of it's feel
Because all I want to do is machine screw
The lyrics of Skeleton Key’s “Machine Screw” are dark and intense, full of violent and sexual imagery that is both disturbing and captivating. The opening lines describe a machine or automobile, with teeth grinding and oil shining on its trembling frame. It is described as a concubine, with a belly and rubber grips and leather hips, and the singer feels the heat emanating from it. This personification of the machine as a sexual object sets the tone for the rest of the song, as it describes the “dulcinea of apocalypse” (a reference to Don Quixote’s love interest) and the “narcotic, autoerotic, intoxicating and mean” qualities of the machine.
The singer expresses his desire to “dream in steel” and experience the taste and feel of the machine, specifically through “machine screw.” This phrase is likely a sexual reference, suggesting a violent yet pleasurable union with the machine. The final stanza provides more detail on the perverse nature of this desire, with the “greasy sheen of gasoline” and the machine’s sounds described as “intoxicating and mean.”
Overall, the lyrics suggest a complex relationship between the singer and the machine, with sexual desire and violence intertwined. The language is visceral and intense, with vivid descriptions that are disturbing yet impossible to look away from.
Line by Line Meaning
Teeth grind, the oil shines the trembling frame of my concubine
I see my car shaking with power and the oil is shining beneath it's hood.
You feel the heat from underneath the belly of my bride
You can feel the heat coming from under the car.
The rubber grips and leather hips, the dulcinea of apocalypse
The car has rubber tires and leather seats. It's the perfect companion in an apocalypse.
The black plume of perfume ushers in the eclipse
The smell of gasoline is in the air, signaling the arrival of the car.
And I will dream in steel
I will have dreams of the car.
Of it's taste and of it's feel
I will dream of the sensations that come from driving the car.
Because all I want to do is machine screw
All I want to do is work on the car and make it even better.
The greasy sheen of gasoline, she clears her throat like a guillotine
The gasoline has a greasy texture and it's being used to fuel the car, which makes a sound similar to a guillotine.
Narcotic, autoerotic, intoxicating and mean
The thrill of driving the car is like a drug and it's an experience that's both arousing and dangerous.
Contributed by Makayla O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.