For a project at work we kept a dashboard of tasks, due dates, and a color status depicting how on track we were to meet the deadline. Green meant that things were on target, yellow meant that there were potential issues that would put us behind, and red meant that we had missed the deadline. My thought was that if we used the hour or so every day we spent going over the chart we could be much further along with the project. That was the inspiration for this parody. The attached document also includes the graphics that went along with the song.
(To the tune of “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones)
I see a red dot and I want to paint it black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the dots scroll by dressed in their pleasing green
I have to turn my head when red comes on the scene
I see a line of dots and they’re all painted black
With mouse and keyboard clicks, they’re never coming back
I see due dates come up fast and quickly fade away
Like a task unwritten it just happens ev’ry day
I look inside my code and see my lines are black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
Maybe then it’ll fade away and not have to face the facts
It’s not easy gettin’ on when your whole schedule is black
No more will my red dots go turn a safer green
I could not forsee worse; just knife me through my spleen
If I look hard enough at columns in this row
My due dates laugh with me; they are my biggest foe
I see a red dot and I want to paint it black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the dots scroll by dressed in their pleasing green
I have to turn my head when red comes on the scene
Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm
Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm
Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm
Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted black
Black as night, black as coal
I wanna see those dots, blotted out from Excel
I wanna see the dashboard painted, painted black
Yeah
Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm
Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm
Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm
Cannot find the layout