This song popped into my head earlier out of nowhere. Do you know what she's singing about?

[Lliam]

I've Got a Brand New Pair of Rollerskates - Melanie (1971)

You have to be old enough to remember these.

https://media.gettyimages.com/id/3227852/photo/two-young-girls-sit-outdoors-on-a-curb-putting-on-their-roller-skates.jpg?s=612x612&w=gi&k=20&c=RDSm5NISjwKoLpWmnA4fCLDyEbj6miFZ85P-nmN_UbY=

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p02DgHeGdyI/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGGUgUShdMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCDKLycq6s9tEMCZZZQKDEvDCFRdQ

[sage2021]

Oh, there they are! My old pair of roller skates complete with the key. 😊 Those things were so heavy to wear! And Lord help you if you lost the darn key!!! Most girls just used a long piece of string and made a necklace and put the key on it. I was so happy when these heavy metal skates were finally replaced with plastic ones and they were pink and didn't need a key💡
Yes, I also know and remember Melanie very well. I had her LP. There was a song on her album called Alexander Beatle (beetle). Do you know this song as well?
I had quite a vinyl record collection, so perhaps we can share some nastalgia? 🤷🏼‍♀️
Thank you for sharing this with us!

[exitseven]

I made a skateboard out of one of those old roller skates that I found somewhere.

[Lliam]

LOL When this song popped into my head and googled it, I found that it was released in 1971. I would have thought earlier.
The thing is, my maternal grandfather heard the song on the radio and bought the 45. That's how I hear it the first time.
I thought it was cute and it obviously stuck with me all these years.

In 1971, I was just the beginning peak adolescent brat stage. I had friends in high school, I had a car, I was breaking away from authority, trying to be an adult, and thought I knew everything.

I was into what I considered to be "serious" music - Steppenwolf, Doors, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, and that kind of thing. So I thought Brand New Key was kind of bubble gummy even though I also liked it.

The other day, when I googled the song, I also found other songs she recorded. I wasn't all that familiar with her back in the day, but I totally remember hearing "Lay Down"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlp3wmE4bbI

It's representative of the kind of uplifting stuff I absolutely loved about the 1960s and the whole Woodstock peace and love attitude.

[sage2021]

Thank you for the MHGIRL 🌹😎

[Lliam]

You're welcome, Sage.
By the way, I listened to Alexander Beetle. I don't think I had ever heard it before. It's cute. :-)

[sage2021]

@Lliam Do you remember bands like Quicksilver Messenger Service? (Have another hit of Fresh Air), Mountain?
Fresh Cream?
Some of the bands changed the name of their band as time went on. Like Fresh Cream changed to Cream, etc. 🎵

[Lliam]

Oh yes!
"Oo-oooo have another hit" I remember that! LOL

Aside from hearing Sunshine of Your Love on the radio and hearing local cover bands play it and, strangely enough, Toad, when I was in 7th or 8th grade, I didn't become totally familiar with Cream until I was 15 when I first started high school. The songs White Room and Tales of Brave Ulysses still make me hallucinate. LOL
The Wheels of Fire album inspired me to learn how to play hard blues-rock like on Crossroads.
I didn't hear about Fresh Cream until I was familiar with Cream.
I was too young to have seen live Cream before they broke up.

Liked Mountain a lot. I got to see them live. I also got to see West, Bruce and Laing.

[sage2021]

@Lliam How Lucky are you that you got to see Mountain in person. I would have loved to have been them.
My bedroom was my rock and roll haven. I also went to so many concerts at the Filmore West in San Francisco.
Those were probably the best years of my life and I will always treasure those memories ☮️

[Lliam]

For sure. The entire decade of the '70s was the best of my life, too. From age 16 to 26 I was free, free, free! Life was one big adventure.

With all the venues on the Los Angeles area, we would even drive as far as San Diego and Santa Barbara to see concerts.

For almost a year, I worked for a concession inside a Sears store where I made keys, did engraving, and sold Ticketron tickets. Ticketron had floor plans to the venues and you could choose your seats. I would have my finger on the button the minute tickets went on sale. And they were like $6 back then. LOL

The Filmore West must have been awesome!

[exitseven]

I think the roller skate thing was a metaphor for sex. Some girl told Mr this a very long time ago. I just this instant remembered this

[Lliam]

Of course. It's what I always thought, too. It sure sounds like it.
I heard that the song was widely banned at first because of the sexual innuendo.
When I recalled this song the other day, I looked her up and found an interview in which she talked about what inspired the song. She wasn't thinking about sex at all when she came up with hook line.

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO😎

[lightbulb27]

I figured it's about rollerskates and I saw ones like that growing up, never tried them.

maybe it's about something else?

[Sevenpointfive]

hrmmm? skating and a brand new key? could it be about cocaine?

[Lliam]

Nope. LOL

[Cidknee]

Sex! My mom hated this song. It played all the time at the roller rink.