Seemingly powered by pistons, gears, and rusty watch springs, Skeleton Key … Read Full Bio ↴Seemingly powered by pistons, gears, and rusty watch springs, Skeleton Key is a clanky but productive machine. Using ancient microphones, primitive guitars, and found objects, the band heaves with a unique rhythmic undertow yet has a knack for winsome, haunting melody. Their music "strips down, toughens up, picks up some debris, and gets an extra dose of rhythm" according to Jon Pareles of the The New York Times. Skeleton Key creates music both exotic and familiar, elegant yet crass, cerebral yet visceral. "It's luxurious, yet affordable" says bassist/singer Erik Sanko (ex of The Lounge Lizards, and collaborator with Yoko Ono, John Cale, and Gavin Friday, among others.)

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

Panic Bullets
Skeleton Key Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'd plead
My campaign
But the bullets
Stole my name
They swallowed my vaccine
When the bullets
Killed their gene

Someone make a toast
To the claustrophobic host
Raise your glass
Of mud and ash
See what hurts the most

Guests
Preen and pose
Blowing bullets
Out their nose
They whinny and they bray
Sending bullets
On their way

Someone make a toast
To the claustrophobic host
Raise your glass
Of mud and ash
See what hurts the most

Shoes
Filled with lead
When the bullets
Rear their heads
Fingers twitch and sweat
From the bullet's
Silhouette

Someone make a toast
To the claustrophobic host
Raise your glass

Of mud and ash
See what hurts the most

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Panic Bullets" by Skeleton Key seem to describe the futility of political campaigns and efforts in the face of violence. The lines "I'd plead my campaign / But the bullets stole my name" suggest that the singer has been silenced or even killed by those who oppose their ideology. The use of the word "vaccine" implies that the singer was trying to help or heal, but their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. The lines "When the bullets killed their gene" could be interpreted as a metaphor for eradicating the potential for positive change.

The song then moves into a chorus that calls for some sort of celebration. However, the scene that is described is far from joyful. The guests are described as "preen[ing] and pose[ing]" and "blowing bullets out their nose", suggesting a grotesque display of power or dominance. The line "see what hurts the most" could either refer to the pain caused by the bullets or to the realization that violence has won out over reason.

The third verse returns to the theme of physical violence. The image of "shoes filled with lead" suggests that the weight of violent actions is heavy and unavoidable. The use of the word "silhouette" in reference to the bullet implies that it is a shadowy force that cannot be fully understood or controlled.

Overall, the song seems to be commenting on the disillusionment and hopelessness that can come with political activism in the face of violent opposition. The celebratory tone of the chorus could be read as either ironic or defiant.

Line by Line Meaning

I'd plead
I would make a heartfelt plea

My campaign
My efforts to achieve a goal

But the bullets
Unfortunately, the obstacles and threats

Stole my name
They took away my identity

They swallowed my vaccine
They destroyed my remedy

When the bullets
In the face of danger

Killed their gene
Ended the legacy of those who threatened

Someone make a toast
Let's commemorate

To the claustrophobic host
To the ones who feel trapped and helpless

Raise your glass
Celebrate with a drink

Of mud and ash
Of the unpleasant and forgotten