I spent a while trying to think of what the nonsexual meaning could possibly be for this song. I completely agree that when she was asked about the meaning she answered delusively, but the problem I was having was coming up with any possible innocent interpretation. I think even if I was a kid when the song came out and knew about roller skate keys I’d know something was up because it’s weird for someone else to have the keys to your shoes unless there’s something going on there.
But the best I came up with is that, if we pretend the key is not to her roller skates & instead his family recently moved or changed the locks on their doors, she could be saying “I’ve got a new way to come over faster and you’ve got the means to let me in, so let’s hang out together or go on a date at your place.”
Again, the obvious meaning is that it’s a puppy love type song about experimenting with sex using the lock and key as a sex metaphor and the roller skates as a metaphor for youth.
There’s also a sense of the first taste of freedom in a brand new pair of roller skates—you don’t have to rely on your parents to drive you as much, and it can be easier to learn and use than a bicycle since you just need enough room for yourself and pavement that you won’t die on.
I think that connects with the blossoming sexuality of a young person. If they wanna “hang out” at his house when no one is around, she’s got the means to get there, he’s got the means to help her “take her skates off,” and if his parents come home early she can skate her way out of trouble pretty easily.
As if this was interpreted by a devout Mormon. Wow! I'll give you credit for putting in the hard work to arrive at those many steps for your final conclusion.
As if this was interpreted by a devout Mormon. Wow! I'll give you credit for putting in the hard work to arrive at those many steps for your final conclusion.
I spent a while trying to think of what the nonsexual meaning could possibly be for this song. I completely agree that when she was asked about the meaning she answered delusively, but the problem I was having was coming up with any possible innocent interpretation. I think even if I was a kid when the song came out and knew about roller skate keys I’d know something was up because it’s weird for someone else to have the keys to your shoes unless there’s something going on there.
But the best I came up with is that, if we pretend the key is not to her roller skates & instead his family recently moved or changed the locks on their doors, she could be saying “I’ve got a new way to come over faster and you’ve got the means to let me in, so let’s hang out together or go on a date at your place.”
Again, the obvious meaning is that it’s a puppy love type song about experimenting with sex using the lock and key as a sex metaphor and the roller skates as a metaphor for youth.
There’s also a sense of the first taste of freedom in a brand new pair of roller skates—you don’t have to rely on your parents to drive you as much, and it can be easier to learn and use than a bicycle since you just need enough room for yourself and pavement that you won’t die on.
I think that connects with the blossoming sexuality of a young person. If they wanna “hang out” at his house when no one is around, she’s got the means to get there, he’s got the means to help her “take her skates off,” and if his parents come home early she can skate her way out of trouble pretty easily.
As if this was interpreted by a devout Mormon. Wow! I'll give you credit for putting in the hard work to arrive at those many steps for your final conclusion.
As if this was interpreted by a devout Mormon. Wow! I'll give you credit for putting in the hard work to arrive at those many steps for your final conclusion.