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
The World's Most Famous Undertaker
Skeleton Key Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The immobile frame, underneath the crown of flies
It salivates, the small yellow teeth
The pale flabby face says "my apologies"
Flaps its wings
The world's most famous undertaker screams
For me
Black brittle bones draw back the lips
The ten spiny cones at the end of its fingertips
A short sighted choice, and the back will break
A thin, grating voice is my big mistake
Flaps its wings
The world's most famous undertaker screams
Flaps its wings
The world's most famous undertaker screams
For me
For me
For me
For me
The song "The World's Most Famous Undertaker" by Skeleton Key paints a vivid picture of a ghastly figure. The opening lines describe a creature with transparent skin and one cloudy eye, covered with a swarm of flies. Its face is flabby, and it apologizes to the listener for its appearance. As the song progresses, the description becomes even more grotesque, with the creature salivating and bearing small yellow teeth.
The focus then turns to the creature's bones, which are black and brittle. The creature's fingers are described as having ten spiny cones at the end, and it seems to be on the brink of collapse, as the "back will break" with a "short sighted choice." The song concludes with the refrain of the "world's most famous undertaker" flapping its wings and screaming for the listener.
The lyrics of the song can be interpreted in a number of ways. Some might see the creature as a representation of death, with its role as an undertaker and its ghastly appearance. Others might view it as a symbol of decay and the inevitable erosion of the body over time. The vivid language used throughout the song adds to the eerie and unsettling atmosphere of the piece.
Line by Line Meaning
Transparent skin, one cloudy eye
The undertaker has a sickly appearance with a clouded eye.
The immobile frame, underneath the crown of flies
The undertaker appears to be lifeless and surrounded by flies.
It salivates, the small yellow teeth
The undertaker's grotesque appearance includes saliva and yellow teeth.
The pale flabby face says 'my apologies'
Despite its appearance, the undertaker acknowledges its off-putting image with an apology.
Flaps its wings
The undertaker makes a sudden movement, perhaps indicating agitation or aggression.
The world's most famous undertaker screams
The undertaker is known and renowned for its piercing, terrifying screams.
Black brittle bones draw back the lips
The undertaker's skeletal structure is visible as it pulls back its lips.
The ten spiny cones at the end of its fingertips
The undertaker's fingers have strange, cone-like protrusions.
A short sighted choice, and the back will break
Making a rash decision could lead to serious consequences, including a potential injury to the undertaker's back.
A thin, grating voice is my big mistake
The undertaker's voice is unpleasant and abrasive, which could be considered a flaw or hindrance for its profession.
For me
The undertaker is directing its actions, screams, and perhaps even its appearance or existence, towards the listener.
For me
The undertaker repeats this phrase, emphasizing its focus on the listener as the target of its attention or intent.
For me
The undertaker concludes by repeating this phrase once more, cementing its fixation on the listener.
Contributed by Kaelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.