“I got a brand new pair of roller skates”: “Brand New Key” by Melanie

Parrot on roller skates bring to mind the song "Brand New Key" by Melanie  Image credit

Back in the 70’s there was a fresh-faced singer named Melanie (one-word name, you know, like Cher) and she had a quirky little pop song named “Brand New Key.”  It’s a fun little song about love and freedom, a perfect fit for the early 70’s. “[I] Don’t go too fast, but I go pretty far” she sings.

 I thought the parrot on skates captured the feeling of the song. It’s available to download on Freegal.

 Here in the 2010’s, my daughter looks at me quizzically when I sing it, no doubt wondering how roller skates can need keys. What, you lock them up so nobody can steel them?

Back then, this is what roller skates looked like:

Rollers skates from the Children's Museum of Indianapolis  Image credit

 

You clamped them onto your shoe and used the key to adjust the length. Even so, they still dislodged at inopportune times, resulting in more than a few skinned knees and hands.