How best to convert a string "list" to a python list

[noydb]

I want some code to take the items in a semi-colon-delimted string
"list" and places each in a python list.  I came up with below.  In
the name of learning how to do things properly, do you experts have a
better way of doing it?

Thanks for any inputs!

***
x = "red;blue;green;yellow" ## string of semi-colon delimited colors

color_list = []
## sc = semi-colon

while x.find(";") <> -1:
    sc_pos = x.find(";")
    current_color = x[0:sc_pos] ## color w/o sc
    current_color_sc = x[0:sc_pos+1] ## color with sc
    color_list.append(current_color) ## append color to list
    x = x.replace(current_color_sc, "") ## remove color and sc from
string
    print current_color
    print color_list
    print x + "\n"

color_list.append(x) # append last color left in x (no sc at end of
string)
print color_list

print "done"