The Snake

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Al Wilson

About The Snake

"The Snake" is a song and single released by American singer Al Wilson in 1968, and written by civil-rights activist Oscar Brown in 1963. The lyrics tell a story inspired by Aesop's fable of The Farmer and the Viper. Released in 1968 in the United States on Johnny Rivers' Soul City Records it made the Top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968, and due to exposure on the UK Northern Soul scene made the UK Singles Chart in August 1975 when reissued, reaching number 41 in September. The success of "The Snake" on the northern soul nightclub circuit has led to it being ranked 4 of 500 top northern soul singles and for it to appear on over 30 pop and northern soul compilation albums. The song was re-released in 1989 as a B-side to a re-release of "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" by The Main Ingredient. Wilson's recording of "The Snake" was also featured in a Lambrini television advertisement in the UK. The song tells the story of a kind and tender woman who finds a frozen snake on the ground on her way to work one morning. The snake begs the woman to take it home and take care of it. She obliges and takes the snake to her home and puts it by the fireplace with a silk blanket, some honey, and some milk. When she gets home from work later that evening, she finds that the snake is now warm and revived. Feeling happy for the snake's recovery, she picks it up and gives it a tight hug and kisses it on the head. However, the snake is actually vicious and gives the woman a bite, fatally poisoning her. She asks the snake why it bit her even though she took it in and cared for it, to which it responds: "Shut up silly woman! You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in!" 


Year:
2001
3:28
73,826 
#26

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Al Wilson

Aldra Kauwa Wilson (born June 21, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the University of Tennessee, and was recognized as an All-American. Wilson was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft, and played his entire professional career for the Broncos. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time All-Pro selection. more »

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12 facts about this song

Genre Classification
"The Snake" is classified as a Soul song, seamlessly combining Rhythm & Blues with Gospel music.
Release Date
The song was released in the summer of 1968.
Album Information
"The Snake" is from Al Wilson's album "Searching for the Dolphins", which was produced and released by Soul City Records.
Chart Success
Upon its release, the song reached number 27 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Later, in UK, it peaked at number 41 in 1975 but achieved an impressive second peak at number 4, when it was re-released in 1987.
Song Composer
The song was written by civil rights activist Oscar Brown, who had a successful career in music, theatre, and television.
Song Length
The official running time of "The Snake" is 3:30 minutes.
Popular Culture
"The Snake" gained notable media attention when it was recited by Donald Trump during his 2016 Presidential campaign as an allegory for immigration issues.
Cover Versions
The song has been covered by various artists, including the popular British band, The Jam, and included in their album "Direction, Reaction, Creation".
Lyrics Interpretation
The lyrics of the song are based on Aesop's fable "The Farmer and the Viper", which tells of a farmer who takes an injured snake into his home only for it to fatally bite him after it has recovered.
Sampling
The song's distinctive spoken-word intro has been sampled in numerous other tracks across genres, including hip-hop and dance music. For instance, Laura Lee's 1972 song "Wedlock Is a Padlock" used a sample from the intro.
Re-Release
After the song's success in the late 1980s, Al Wilson's original version of "The Snake" was re-released in 2009 on the album "The Snake: The Best Of Al Wilson".
Recognition
In 2019, it was inducted into the Hall of Fame Singles by Grammy.

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    The Snake

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1968

    Billboard #27


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