Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Hair like seaweed makes me giddy


The mosiac is a picture of Triton.

I am not the biggest fan of the song "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair." The song is okay, but I've rarely heard more than the beginning. When I was a freshman in college, one of my dorm-mates worked on the song for her music class. She walked up the hallway, singing, "Black, black, black is the color of my true love's hair..." and then she'd stop. A few minutes later, she walked down the hallway, singing, "Black, black, black is the color of my true love's hair...." I finally asked her why she didn't sing the whole song. She replied, "The first line is the best part of the song."

The following year, I enrolled in the same music class. I avoided the above mentioned song, but didn't do all that much better with "The Sound of Silence" and "Lasciatemi Morire." It didn't matter which songs I chose. I still croaked my way through music jury and got a "C" for the course. Perhaps my dorm-mate was onto something with her method of lyric-line repetition. Perhaps part of the reason why I got such a mediocre grade was my sullen attitude, but that's another story.

Apropos of Valentine's day, I have a revision of "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair" (follow the link for the Midi file melody). Bede, my dear, this one's for you:

Green, Green, Green is the Color of My Merman's Hair

Green, green, green is the color of my merman’s hair
His skin is sallow like a pear’s
His lidless eyes
And his web-bed hands--
He must recline among the sands.

O I love my love
And where he bathes
I love the shell with which he shaves
And still I hope
Somehow I grow scales
Then he and I can swim with whales.

Green, green, green is the color of my merman’s hair
He wears no shirt, he must go bare
Our families do
Not understand
Why we build castles in the sand.

6 comments:

Lady K said...

Oh, how you make me giggle. I'm now inspired to write something.

Anonymous said...

Have you heard the version by the Smothers Brothers? "Black is the Color of My Love's True Hair."

"Does she or doesn't she? Only her hairdresser knows!"

limpy99 said...

That song is certainly going to change my point of view the next time I have to watch "Aquamarine" with the kids.

Saints and Spinners said...

Lady K: I want to see what you've written, if you're inclined to show it.

Goddess: That's twice in one day someone's mentioned the Smothers Brothers. Maybe I oughta check them out.

Limpy99: How many times have you had to watch "Aquamarine?" I read the book (totally "eh") and I heard that the movie bore only a passing resemblance... i.e. the title.

themoy said...

I always loved the Smothers Brothers version:

Black, black, black is the color
Of my love's true hair,
Though her tresses are red
As the rose,
Black is the color of my love's
True hair,
And only her hair dresser knooooows
(Does she or doesn't she?)
Only her hair dresser knows!

Lone Star Ma said...

Lone Star Ma certainly did appreciate that! Thank you! (Don't tell Lone Star Pa, though - he doesn't like it when I look at mermen!)

I liked the book Aquamarine just fine - not great or anything, but I liked it - the movie is silly, though. But harmless.