20sb Blog Swap: Your Warm, Crimson Glow

Hope’s Note: Today is 20sb blog swap day! I’m very pleased to be swapping blogs today with the lovely Risha. Definitely check out my post on her blog today and read some of her archives. Who doesn’t love a blog named after one of the 69 Love Songs?

I’m Risha and I blog about nothing very interesting over on ‘you can read me anything‘. Yes, that’s a Stephin Merrit reference.

As this is my first ever blog swap, my excitement is exceeded by my nervousness. What if I write a load of utter bollocks? What if my dreaded friend ‘The Block’ comes a-visitin’? What if the four ‘readers’ of my blog don’t check their Google Readers and find the wonderful Hope’s post? The nervousness was further compounded by how great Hope’s blog is. She’s funny, she’s quirky and she’s definitely a fantastic writer.

Yeah… no pressure, huh?

I’ve been obsessing about what I should write for the past few days. As Hope has “Write a song about a completely ridiculous subject like canals or the industrial revolution” as one of her 30 before 30 goals; I figured I’d give her a little prod with a bit of ridiculousness of my own.

This is called ‘An ode to nail polish’. I imagine it with a boatload of drum smashing and bad ass guitar riffs. Kinda like a rockier version of Street Fighting Man.

Oh yeah, I went there. I touched that.

Clearly, I know as little about music as I do about writing.

An Ode to Nail Polish

I saw you standing in a soldier-row,
The buffed black-tops and the label placed ‘just so’.
You caught my eye at the nail salon,
I tried to pick you out but you were gone.

I never knew that you were so popular,
My heart didn’t accept that you were the one.
It couldn’t deal with the idea;
Of seeing you on everyone else’s toes.

You were mine and mine alone.
You won the race with your warm, crimson glow.

I tried the others, for a whirl
But you were on my mind the whole time through.
The manicurist, she looked concerned.
‘Are you sure you want it?’

She painted my toes to match my soul,
A dark blob to go with my heart.
I stared at my finger nails
And ached for your touch.
But you betrayed me and I was crushed.

You were mine and mine alone.
You won the race with your warm, crimson glow.

I saw you in a garage sale box,
My eyes were lying, I was shocked!
How could they be so callous?
How could they be so cruel?

Oh, my love! I’ve found you.
Oh, my love! I’ve found you.

I rushed to the salon,

You triumphantly clutched over my head.

Bursting in,
“Paint me Red”; I yelled!

They sat me down in a plush sofa,
Cleaned my nails of the goo.
‘Where’d you find her?’ they asked,
I beamed and tapped my nose;
My excitement mounting.

The crimson of my nails;
The crimson of my heart.

Oh, my love! I’ve found you.
You won the race with your warm, crimson glow.

Like I said, clearly I know as little about music as I do about writing. Is that even the structure of a song?

Yeah.. I guess it is more country than it is rock ‘n’ roll.

Hope here, again. Who thinks I should set this to some music and do a video blog of it?