The other night I was tickling Cole, as dads tend to do. When I got a little too aggressive he said, “The Rule of Tickles is you have to stop when I say so!” And I said, “The Rule of Tickles, huh?” (we were reading A.A. Milne, hence the capitalization). So I decided to try something a little more interesting for the Canadian Boards snippet, rather than the usual relationship blah blah blah thing I had lined up. Also, maybe it’s just me, but the snippet sounds like tickling or laughter – it just fits.
As always, I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. Anything confusing or contradictory? What’s the weakest part? The strongest? Sorry I don’t have any musical reference for you to listen to this time. All the composition so far has taken place at the piano.
Only one more lyric to write after this!
The Rule of Tickles
©2010 Brian Hazard (ASCAP)
You could torture me to tears
And not leave a mark
So it’s not easy for me
To let down my guard
When the natural thing to do
Is protect myself
From an overwhelming touch
Crossing into pain
If you’re delicate enough
You can have your way
But I need a safety net
So you’d better not forget
The rule of tickles is
You’ve got to stop when I say when
If you take this game too far
I’ll never play with you again
So watch for subtle cues
‘Cause I like you a lot
Can I trust you, or not?
When your fingertips explore
All you feel is touch
As sensations in my skin
Cause my blood to rush
It’s like falling deep in love
With a platonic friend
I can’t do it to myself
It’s impossible
‘Cause I’m only sensitive
When I’m vulnerable
The successful hand relies
On the element of surprise
Laughter doesn’t always mean
That I’m having fun
I may laugh reflexively
Before you’ve begun
But you have my full consent
If you’re willing to relent
I’m easy to amuse
‘Cause I like you a lot
Can I trust you, or not?
