Skeleton Song

My take - it's about a girl who has a skeleton as a toy (or friend, if you like); and as a child that was thought of as somewhat strange by her friends ("Skeleton, when we were young it was easier/Even though the other kids, they would tease me"), but now she's a grown woman the fact she still has the skeleton is seen as even more bizarre and it's even harder to continue to keep the toy. In my mind it's a metaphor for the difficulty in trying to hold on to your youth, and the fact that you have to let go of those things that you had when you were a child. A coming of age song, in some ways I think. This makes the bridge somewhat poiniant (however you spell that at midnight!) for me, as it implies the protagonist wants to physically break all ties with her youth ("I take a hammer and I creep out of bed/ And I raise it high, and I smash your head"), but can't bring herself to do so ("But...Skeleton, you are my friend/ And I could never bring your life to an end"). In summary, I think the skeleton represents childhood, and the song is about having to grow up and break away from that.

ok so this is what i think and what fits the most she is talking about how HER skeleton is her friend cause she likes how she looks that skinny,

Skeleton, we have been friends for years And you have seen me through some trials and tribulations and some tears But everybody thinks I'm weird

keeping IT has bring her trouble cause its hard to stay skinny. She likes the extremely skinny so people dont agree with her

Skeleton, we are so close But you have got no body So why do you insist on wearing clothes? Skeleton, when we were young it was easier Even though the other kids, they would tease me I was only seven I had you, but now I'm 22

even though she kinda complains, one of the thing she likes is that all the clothes fit her, and when ur a kid its normal to look skinny but when ur grown up its not that common

And I should have known That it wouldn't be long until you You've got me standing in an awkward position With unwanted attention And a need for explanation And it's not that I'm letting go of you But I dunno what to do

ok so now she looks weird too skinny so people wonder why is she like that so it brings her all this attention but she wont give it up for that cause she likes to look like that and it would be really hard to look fat

so i think this can aply to an eating disorder really well

Funny.. I've always thought the song was a metaphor for a male best friend Kate has had for years, who she see's as almost sexless she is so close to him, i.e: "But you have got no body So why do you insist on wearing clothes?" By that she means hes practically a-sexual, because she has known him for so long. But the thing is, he DOESNT see her asexual, because boys are like that, he see's her for the highly fanciable girl she is. And he fancys her. Which is what i think she means by the "awkward position" and "unwanted attention". She doesn't want to go out with him or anything, but she does love him and doesn't want to "let go of you". Shes incredibly frustrated with him complicating things.. i.e, the whole verse about smashing him in frustration, etc. I dunno now though.. after reading all of the above I'm not so sure that was meant by the song.

I think it's a bit of two themes. If it does refer to anorexia in the past or present, it would be a "skeleton in the closet", wouldn't it? People with eating disorders don't exactly publicise it, so it could be both.

Well that's what I get from it. :)

i dont know. maybe i am just trying to relate to it but to me it seems like it might be about an eating disorder. like people notice strange eating habits and think you are strange because of it. then people find out for sure that its an eating disorder and it puts her in an "awkward situation" and she needs an explaination. she doesnt want to let go of the eating disorder but she doesnt really see a way out right then. at night is usually the hardest times for people with eating disorders, like when most binge and such so that is kind of the dream part to me. and then in the end she is just like she will not let go because it seems like such a part of her and such a comfort for her.

but thats just what i get.

Most of her album is about failed relationships with people (she could be singing about a girl, I don't know) around her (from what I understand) so I take this song as a friend/romantic relationship. Like she's been frenemies with this "empty", boring, prickish/annoying person (skeleton) for many years, and all of a sudden, they tell her they like her ("You've got me standing in an awkward position"), and she doesn't really know what do ("And I don't know what to do"). She feels frustrated about the suddenness of the confession ("Smash your head...") , but in the end she accepts that fact, and stays with them ("But skeleton, you are my friend, And I could never bring your life to an end...")

I think it could go two ways: It's either about a literal skeleton toy thing (which is a bit odd but doesn't sound out of the ordinary for Kate Nash lol) which belongs to her or a friend or It's about anorexia and she's questioning the purpose of it. It's giving her unwanted attention and such. I don't know, I'm going to a gig of hers soon so i hope she'll mention it.

I really think this song is a lot more simple then everyone thinks it is A young girl, and it doesn't have to be Kate Nash, has a skeleton as a friend because she doesn't really get along well with other people and since she has this skeleton people think she's even weirder She's older now and she can't bring the skeleton with her anywhere because she would look like a freak, but she loves the skeleton and can never leave it

I'm probably self reflecting here, but this song reminds me a lot of my own struggle with depression.

When I was younger, it was easier to deal with because it was acceptable for things to be difficult and to cry when you're young, but when you get older it's harder and people are less accepting and you have to be tougher.

I also use my depression and sadness as a fallback feeling, im to the point where it's comforting to be sad because I'm used to it. In a way, the "skeleton" (being depression in my example) is a bad thing that brings unwanted attention and makes you explain why you behave how you do, but you still can't let go because it's something that you've had or "been friends with" for years, and it's a part of you.

Sometimes you want to get rid of it because you think you'd be better off, but you end up just falling back into it. One of the lines, "And it's not that I'm letting go of you, But I don't know what to do" Reminds me of when I first started getting help because I just didn't know how to deal with it.

The last lines of the song especially speak to me, and they make me think of when people tell you "just be happy" or "don't be so gloomy". You can't let it go because it's al you know how to feel. That's all you know.

I might've perceived it totally wrong, but this is how I personally connect to the song, it makes me think of my relationship with my "skeleton".

imaginary friend?