"Brand New Key" is a pop song written and sung by

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

singer

Melanie Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark".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 Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and Australia and No. 4 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

Overview

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 New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

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 McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

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." The song has been described as

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...

, and soft rock. It was arranged by

Roger Kellaway Roger Kellaway (born November 1, 1939) is an American composer, arranger and jazz pianist. Life and career Kellaway was born in Waban, Massachusetts, United States. He is an alumnus of the New England Conservatory. Kellaway has composed commissi ...

Possible sexual innuendo

Melanie has acknowledged the possibility of detecting

sexual innuendo An innuendo is a hint, insinuation or intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion ...

in the lyrics, but has denied any deeper meaning:

Track listings and formats

* 7" vinyl # "Brand New Key" – 2:26 # "Some Say (I Got Devil)" – 3:07

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Parodies and other versions

*A version of the song entitled the " Combine Harvester", with new rustic-themed lyrics by

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

songwriter Brendan O'Shaughnessy (including "I've got a brand new combine harvester An' I'll give you the key"), was recorded by Irish comedian

Brendan Grace Brendan Grace (1 April 1951 – 11 July 2019) was an Irish comedian and singer. He was best known for his comedy schoolboy character 'Bottler', the 1995 film '' Moondance'', and his 1996 appearance in the Irish TV sitcom ''Father Ted'' as Fath ...

, whose version scored No. 1 on the Irish Charts during 1975. For the

West Country The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Glo ...

comedy folk act

The Wurzels The Wurzels are an English Scrumpy and Western band from Somerset, England, best known for their number one hit " The Combine Harvester" and number three hit "I Am a Cider Drinker" in 1976. They are known for using British West Country phrases ...

scored No. 1 for two weeks during June 1976 with a version of this. *A parody of the song titled "Kinky Boots" by The Irish Brigade, with lyrics mocking British policies and policing authorities in Northern Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s. *A cover of the song by punk rock band “

The Dollyrots The Dollyrots are an American punk rock band formed in 2000, composed of wife Kelly Ogden (bass, lead vocals) and husband Luis Cabezas (guitar, backing vocals). They have released six studio albums and are currently under their own label, Arrest ...

” was included on their album Because I'm Awesome. *A cover of the song by the American cello rock trio “Rasputina” was included on their 1996 debut album Thanks For The Ether.

References in popular culture

Podcast

Theme song of the podcast “Wife of the Party” hosted by, popular comedian Bert Kreischer’s wife, LeeAnn Kreischer.

Movies

Melanie's version is heard in the 1997 film '' Boogie Nights'' as Dirk Diggler (

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...

) has his "audition" with Rollergirl (

Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress. After appearing in television commercials, her first starring role in a feature film came with the teen comedy '' License to Drive'' (1988), followed by the critically acclaime ...

) in front of Jack Horner ( Burt Reynolds). The song is also played in '' Jackass 3-D'' during the "Bungee Boogie" stunt skit (in which the cast members use bungee cords, skateboards and a ramp to slingshot into a kiddie pool). In the 9th season episode of '' Mystery Science Theater 3000'', "Werewolf", Mike sings part of the song's chorus in a medley set to the film's end credits.

TV shows

The original version appears in season one of the FX show '' The Bridge'', as the character Daniel Frye flushes his supply of drugs and alcohol. The original version also appears in the 2016 Hallmark TV movie ''Signed sealed delivered from the heart''. On April 4, 2016, Jimmy Fallon lip synced the song during a "Lip Sync Battle" on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...

'', while he competed with actress

Melissa McCarthy Melissa Ann McCarthy (born August 26, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer, and fashion designer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and tw ...

. During the 16th season of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'', contestant Maddie Poppe performed the song during the Top 24 elimination round. The original version appears in episode 1 of the first season of the 2017 Australian television series ''

Sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

'', as the viewer is initially introduced to Julia, one of the main characters. Melanie's version is heard playing over the closing credits of the 2nd episode of the 2020 miniseries ''

The Stand ''The Stand'' is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel written by American author Stephen King and first published in 1978 by Doubleday. The plot centers on a deadly pandemic of weaponized influenza and its aftermath, in which the few survivin ...

'', right after Randall Flagg gives Lloyd Henreid a stone that transforms into a key, and frees him from prison. It is also heard in the 2021 ''

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Char ...

'' episode, " The Gang Buys a Roller Rink", when Frank drops Dennis and Dee off at South Philly Skate in 1998. The song is played during the "Apocalypse DJ" running sketch portion of the third episode of the 2022 ''

The Kids in the Hall The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1989 to 1995, on CBC, ...

'' revival series. The sketches depict a radio DJ (played by

Dave Foley David Scott Foley (born January 4, 1963) is a Canadian actor, stand-up comedian, director, producer and writer. He is known as a co-founder of the comedy group The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of television, stage and ...

) playing the song over and over again in the aftermath of an apocalypse caused by a "DNA Bomb". The song is also heard in ''Family Guy'' season 20, episode 18, "Girlfriend, Eh?".

The Voice

On the October 17, 2016, episode of singing competition television show ''

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

'', Team Miley (Cyrus) contestants Darby Walker and Karlee Metzger performed the song in a Battle round. In the first online episode of the Comeback Stage of the singing competition television show ''

'', no-chair reject Klea Olson performed the song as part of a Battle round against fellow Team Bebe (Rexha) members Nathan and Chesi Arnett, who performed the song "

Tulsa Time "Tulsa Time" is a song written by Danny Flowers, and recorded by American country music artist Don Williams. It was released in October 1978 as the first single from the album ''Expressions''. It was Williams' eighth number one on the country chart ...

References

External links

* {{authority control 1971 singles 1972 singles 1976 singles British pop songs Melanie (singer) songs Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in South Africa Number-one singles in Australia Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles 1971 songs Obscenity controversies in music