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
Museum Glass
Skeleton Key Lyrics
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Ten hands high in donkey headed braying alchemy
Eight skins round in double head conjoined cacophony
Twelve strings bound the swollen ribcage of mythology
And when they brushed away the blood and dust and metal and rust
And swaddled us in velvet hands
Under pressure, under glass
Museum glass
three fins crown the bottom feeding reels of chemistry
two hearts pound for blushing pilgrims in thein infancy
And when they brushed away the blood and dust and metal and rust
And swaddled us in velvet hands
And pinned our fragile with shiny pins and blackened grins
Under pressure, under glass
Museum glass
The lyrics to Skeleton Key's song Museum Glass are filled with vivid and abstract imagery about the various creatures and creations that are displayed in a museum. The first verse describes the nails on a strange and unusual creature that is 5 nails wide and has tricky finger stretch anatomy. The next line talks about a donkey-headed creature that is ten hands high and is known for its donkey-headed braying alchemy. The second verse describes a conjoined creature that has eight skins around its double head and produces a cacophony of sound. This creature is bound by twelve strings that wrap around its swollen ribcage, adding to the strangeness and otherworldly quality of the imagery.
The chorus of the song is a refrain that repeats twice after each verse. It talks about the process of how these creatures were discovered, preserved, and displayed in a museum. They were brushed away and cleaned of their blood, dust, metal, and rust, and then swaddled in velvet hands. They were pinned down with shiny pins and blackened grins, and then placed under pressure and held behind museum glass. The song has a haunting quality to it, as if the creatures described in the lyrics are alive but imprisoned, as if there is something eerie and unsettling beneath the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
Five nails wide in tricky finger stretch anatomy
The fingers are stretched out in a tricky and complex manner, with each finger measuring five nails wide in length
Ten hands high in donkey headed braying alchemy
The object being described is ten hands tall and resembles a donkey, emitting braying sounds. The object is a result of transformative and mysterious chemical reactions, known as alchemy.
Eight skins round in double head conjoined cacophony
The object is made up of eight layers or skins, with two heads joined together, producing a harsh and discordant noise.
Twelve strings bound the swollen ribcage of mythology
Twelve strings are tightly wound around the swollen ribcage of a figure from mythology, producing a unique and haunting sound.
And when they brushed away the blood and dust and metal and rust
Referring to the act of uncovering or revealing an object, removing any dirt, debris, or damage incurred over time
And swaddled us in velvet hands
The act of protecting or preserving something fragile, as if it were a baby being wrapped in soft, comforting material
And pinned our fragile with shiny pins and blackened grins
Fixing or securing something delicate with shiny and attractive objects while wearing a sinister and ominous expression
Under pressure, under glass
Subjecting something to intense scrutiny and observation, as if it were under pressure and encased in glass
Three fins crown the bottom feeding reels of chemistry
A chemical apparatus with three protruding fins at the top, designed to collect substances from the bottom
Two hearts pound for blushing pilgrims in their infancy
Two hearts beat in unison, representing the passion and innocence of those on a pilgrimage when they are first starting out.
Contributed by Grace T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JB Franz
This is my very Favorite SK song, off of any of their albums. I LOVE this groove!!!
matthew gill
Fucking A...... I'm still a spineless fan... but yes.... yes...