By takeitawayGuru
Blemishes, bruises, freckles, spots (and cures), old skin, new skin, leopard skin and tattoos have all been nominated this week.
I’ve listened to songs about covered up skin, bare skin and foreskins, but no matter the skin you’re in, underneath we’re all the same a mass of blood vessels, bones and organs wrapped up in a protective layer that sometimes gets bruised and battered or deliberately inked.
But actually when you get under the skin of our musical selections we’re an eclectic bunch in the Song Bar. While on the surface we all have an appreciation of music, our choices are diverse, and as for the innovative approaches to write-ups we’re as different as chalk and cheese.
So this week I’ve stripped away the layers that normally define my views and have taken a look either side of the bar, beyond the fair complexioned, swarthy or those sporting a holiday tan to get right under the skin of this week’s musical nominations.
First layer: plaudits
Had this been a normal week for me in the bar, then I would have donded these songs I already know and are suitably on topic:
ParaMhor - The Stranglers - Skin Deep / Lambrettas – Poison Ivy
Violet Vivid - NIN – Hurt / The Offspring – Want You Bad
Amylee - Billy Idol – Flesh for Fantasy / RHCP – Scar Tissue / Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
Flatfrog – Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb (z)
Beltway Bandit – The Stranglers – Peaches (z)
swawilg – Foo Fighters – Skin and Bones
treefrogdemon – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Rhino Skin
Ravi – AC/DC – The Jack
Second layer: virtual player
Had I been playing then this is what I would have nominated:
Alter Bridge – Shed My Skin – (wildcard as below)
Bruce Springsteen – Let’s Be Friends (Skin to Skin) – really, no one thought to play the Guru?
Foo Fighters – Live-In Skin – swawilg, so close.
QOTSA – Skin on Skin – thought amylee might have proffered this one!
Marmaduke Duke – Skin the MoFo Alive
Creed – Weathered – Ravi, thought this had your name on it.
Scissor Sisters – Skin This Cat
Scissor Sisters – The Skins
The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang - I got your name tattooed inside of my arm
Whiskey Myers – Early Morning Shakes - Bleach blonde hair with the rose tattoo
Whiskey Myers – Turn It Up - You got your plastic wrap on your fresh tattoo, Yeah a fire breathing dragon looks good on youFrank Turner – Tattoos
Pearl Jam - Black - All the pictures have been washed in black, tattooed everything
Third layer: The A-list
So, now deeper through the dermis, as this week's guru I’ve discovered these sub-cutaneous tunes that are more than (Buddy Guy) – Skin Deep, different shades through India Arie – Brown Skin and skin that’s scarred and tattooed, Gregg Allman – I’m No Angel.
One implied that a “bruise” is the tattoo of an abusive relationship - Shemekia Copeland – Ain’t Gonna Be Your Tattoo.
If Eels paid $200 for tattoos then at that rate it must have cost Caravan Palace lots of money as they have plenty as does Los Lobos’ Vikings.
Bat for Lashes – Skin Song describes the battering our skin sometimes gets whereas The Beautiful South has This Old Skin but Siouxsie and the Banshees are breaking out of their New Skin.
Whitney Duncan is baring her white tush in Skinny Dippin’ and for Tindersticks it’s a Sweet Memory of another’s skin.
Which goes to show that you should never judge a person by their skin nor a song by the artist but look below the surface and you’ll be surprised what you discover.
Buddy Guy – Skin Deep
India Arie – Brown Skin
Gregg Allman – I’m No Angel
Shemekia Copeland – Ain’t Gonna Be Your Tattoo.
Eels - $200 Tattoo
Caravan Palace – Tattoos
Los Lobos - Vikings
Bat for Lashes – Skin Song
The Beautiful South - This Old Skin
Siouxsie and the Banshees - New Skin.
Whitney Duncan - Skinny Dippin’
Tindersticks - Sweet Memory
Fourth layer: Blistering B-listers
Tori Amos – Leather
Covenant feat Necro Facility – Lightbringer
Little Feat – Skin it Back
Vega – Skin Deep
Larry Williams – Bony Moronie
Anouk – Pictures on your Skin
Bradford – Skin Storm
Iggy Pop (Josh Homme) – Break Into Your Heart
Phil Lynott – Tattoo
Fifth layer: Guru's wildcard and other nominations:
Alter Bridge - Shed My Skin ...
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Tattoo you? song about skin. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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Fancy a turn behind the pumps at The Song Bar? Care to choose a playlist from songs nominated and write something about it? Then feel free to contact The Song Bar here, or try the usual email address.