Brand New Key is a pop song written and sung by American folk music singer Melanie. Initially a track of Melanie’s album Gather Me, produced by Melanie’s husband Peter Schekeryk, it was known also as “The Rollerskate Song” due to its chorus. It was her greatest success, scoring No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart during December 1971 and January 1972. Billboard ranked it as the No. 9 song of 1972. It also scored No. 1 in Canada and Australia and No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.
The song is sung from the viewpoint of a girl with roller skates trying to attract the attention of a boy. In an interview with Examiner.com, Melanie described what she claimed was the inspiration for the song: “I was fasting with a 27-day fast on water. I broke the fast and went back to my life living in New Jersey and we were going to a flea market around six in the morning. On the way back… and I had just broken the fast, from the flea market, we passed a McDonald’s and the aroma hit me, and I had been a vegetarian before the fast.
So we pulled into the McDonald’s and I got the whole works… the burger, the shake, and the fries… and no sooner after I finished that last bite of my burger… that song was in my head. The aroma brought back memories of roller skating and learning to ride a bike and the vision of my dad holding the back fender of the tire. And me saying to my dad… ‘You’re holding, you’re holding, you’re holding, right?’ Then I’d look back and he wasn’t holding and I’d fall. So that whole thing came back to me and came out in this song.”
Brand New Key Lyrics (1972)
I rode my bicycle past your window last night
I roller skated to your door at daylight
It almost seems like you’re avoiding me
I’m okay alone but you’ve got something I need
Well, I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates
You got a brand new key
I think that we should get together
And try them on to see
I’ve been lookin’ around awhile
You’ve got something for me
Well, I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates
You got a brand new key
I ride my bike, I roller skate, don’t drive no car
Don’t go so fast but I go pretty far
For somebody who don’t drive, I’ve been all around the world
Some people say I’ve done alright for a girl
I asked your mother if you were at home
She said yes but that you weren’t alone
It almost seems like you’re avoiding me
I’m okay alone but you’ve got something I need
Well, I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates
You got a brand new key
I think that we should get together
And try them on to see
Well, I got a brand new pair of roller skates
You’ve got a brand new key
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