Writing Blog Number 2

20250129 Songs For Year Of The Snake

Songs For Year Of The Snake

So, it’s the Year of the Snake in the Chinese New Year. Many years ago, I did a column on it, but the videos have all been removed, so here’s the column with songs! (All are in my personal music collection, by the way.)

’The Viper’ by Freddie And The Dreamers (1963)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUCeLxLCY58
A novelty song, a B-side from a four-track single, this is a weird song, so unlike most of the other songs recorded by this band. I have always liked it, though, probably because it is so odd.

’Snake In The Grass’ by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Tich (1969)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie_9VvF2DFY
A song I only have on a greatest hits album, and one I have not heard away from said disc, this is a fun little track that, while not their best, is certainly a decent song about some-one acting like the proverbial snake in the grass.

’Crawling King Snake’ by The Doors (1971)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV0buYqrRo4
From my favourite Doors album L.A. Woman, this cover version of an old blues track is really made by the music behind Jim Morrison’s vocals. In an album of great tracks, this song stands out as different and wonderful.

’The Serpent Is Rising’ by Styx (1973)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r49u63AgjfI
The title track from this album is very prog rock sounding, with lyrics about some cosmic serpentine entity rising up. The album is a weird one, but this is one of the better tracks from it.

’Snake Charmer’ by Rainbow (1975)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coZVchUjb64
From Rainbow’s first album, the guitar playing is superb and the lyrics are odd, but this is a great rock track from the greatest era of classic rock. An album cut that not many actually know about, which is a shame.

’Tube Snake Boogie’ by ZZ Top (1981)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5_lpQqfiy8
From the El Loco album, when they first started to experiment with some electronic sounds in their music, this is the definite highlight of that still quite good record. ZZ Top had a great way with the 12-bar boogie blues rock style, and that is on show here so strongly.

’Union Of The Snake’ by Duran Duran (1983)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6p5Q6_JBes
Though, even now, almost 40 years later, I am not completely sure what the lyrics are about, this song from the really strong Seven And The Ragged Tiger album is still a good one. It’s just that perfect mix of rock and pop that Duran Duran straddled so well at this point in their careers.

’Big Snake’ by Lloyd Cole And the Commotions (1987)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ishqYL4Jos8
Slow and punctuated by some fine guitar work and Cole’s always impressive voice, this song is almost threatening in tone, but is still a glorious piece of music.

’Snakebite’ by Alice Cooper (1991)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agC3lIfPuQU
Alice Cooper has continuously released great music for decades, and this song from the under-rated Hey, Stoopid album is amongst the wonderful. I was under the impression it had been released as a single, but I’m not sure. Still, I remember hearing this at the time and it was great then as it is now.

’Viper’ by Mike Oldfield (2002)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1ICitSTFNA
A beautiful instrumental from one of Oldfield’s lesser-known recent albums, but one which I really quite liked, Tres Lunas. It’s a little more electronic than most of his earlier stuff, but I think that difference was what made this album stand out to me.

’Snakes And Ladders’ by Kim Wilde (2010)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0zEE53B170
Regular readers will know of my love for Ms Wilde and her music, and this song about the eponymous game (so probably pushing the limits of the theme here) is a great song that I have as a CD Single extra track. It deserves more than that, though, as it is a great little pop song.


So, to celebrate a new Chinese year, some songs about snakes!


The original list had 15 songs, but this only allows me 10 embedded videos, so I cut 5. Sorry.