A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Songs About Herps

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These are songs about reptiles and amphibians. A few are based on herp imagery, but most just reference a herp in some way or use a herp as a metaphor. Some of these are good songs worth repeated listening, others are only curiosities, and some are just plain bad. There aren't too many songs that are specifically about herps, but there must be a thousand songs with a mention of a snake in the lyrics, and another thousand mentioning alligators, frogs, lizards and turtles, etc. (Salamander mentions are rare, as most people hardly know what they are.) It would be pointless to try to include all of those songs on this list, especially since you can find lists like that on Wickipedia and elsewhere. So I will only list a fewsongs that I know and think are worth at least a listen, at least for the sake of novelty, if not musicality. The songs are listed alphabetically by artist, not by title. I'll add new songs to the list as I discover them. Let me know if there's something that's not here that should be. They lyrics come from the Internet, and we all know how unreliable that can be sometimes, so let me know if you find any mistakes. Also, some of these songs may contain explicit lyrics that may not be mentioned in the descriptions. Here's a companion song list I've compiled for CaliforniaHerps - Songs About California The lyrics quoted here are all the property and copyright of their owners and are provided here for educational purposes only.
Artist	Title	Description
Aerosmith	The Rattlesnake Shake	Hard rocking Aerosmith covers the Fleetwood Mac song, adding their own lyrics: "You need some lovin' You must have the blues You fought your mind baby Hey that's a good thing to do Now do the shake The Rattlesnake Shake Now do the, do the shake Yes, chuck away them blues...chuck your blues"
America	Ventura Highway	See the California list above, for a description.
Blind Lemon Jefferson	That Black Snake Moan	An old country blues classic, covered by many others including Samuel L. Jackson in the movie by the same name. "Mmm, mmm, black snake crawlin' in my room Mmm, mmm, black snake crawlin' in my room Some pretty mama better come and get this black snake soon"
Bow Wow Wow	Go Wild in the Country	"Go wild in the country, where snakes in the grass, are absolutely free." A wonderful sentiment that would be shared by all snakes, especially those living in sweater boxes and deli cups. Malcolm McLaren, creator of the Sex Pistols, also created this band, to sell clothing. But this 1982 new wave hit has an African pop sound and a squealing teenage girl singer instead of Johnny Rotten.
Bow Wow Wow	Where's My Snake?	Unfortunately, this is a question any snake-owner has asked many times. Another annoyingly upbeat 80's Afrobeat pop tune.
Bush Tetras	Snakes Crawl	Some New York post-punk minimalism from 1980. "Snakes crawl Babies fall Cars crash Heads bash Rats bite Boys fight Noses run Girls have fun ... Records spin Flabby skin Pigs feed Full of greed Time flies We all die"
Oscar Brown Jr.	The Snake	In this great swingin' 60's R&B tune, a woman walking to work finds a half frozen snake by a lake. The snake begs her to take him in and she does, admiring his beauty. When she gets home from work, the snake has revived and she hugs it, and then it bites her. Of course. A snake is cast as the villain once again. Dying from the venom, she asks why he killed her, and the grinning snake tells her to shut up, that she knew he was deadly when she took him in. It's all her fault. Message: don't go collecting hot snakes, ladies, stick to the non-venomous.
Jimmy Buffett	Off to See the Lizard	Mr. Buffett leaves Margaritaville with another anemic pop ditty. "I was raised by a maid who came from Martinique She wore geckos round her neck and bracelets on her feet A superstitious woman from the land of sugar cane She'd sing the sun to bed and dance out in the rain Dance out dance out dance out dance out in the rain She'd excite us with his legend that the Africans had told About a red iguana who turned lava into gold We'd mount an expedition headin' out into the bay Superstitious children playing pirate for a day Off to see the lizard Off to see the lizard Deja deja deja vu, believe it And it will come true Veja Veja Veja du What works for me might work for you"
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan	Snake Song	A nice cover of the Townes Van Zandt song described below from the Scottish singer-songwriter and her duet partner from the Screaming Trees.
Elizabeth Cook	Snake in the Bed	A 2010 song from the smart and quicky country roots rocker. I put a song of hers on the California list, too, so she's gotta be good. "There’s a snake in the bed, a snake in the bed I dumped out my purse and there’s a snake in the bed It’s little and it wiggles, got a shiny black head Couldn’t be worse there’s a snake in the bed My pocketbook was sittin by the slidin glass door The one I thought didn’t work no more I set it side me on the pull-out couch The one I’d been sleepin on to get the bugs out And Big Mama Thornton was singing along With pretty young Elvis and the old hound dog Heaven turned to big deceit when something slithered down my leg And between my feet I can’t imagine what the fuss is about You’d think he’d have chosen a different route I can’t shut up the words in my mouth They started up north and they’re heading down south The boy from next door came runnin up He was sicker than me so the problem was We balled up the sheet snake and everything Kicked out the door and gave it a fling"
Creedence Clearwater Revival	Joy to the World	Hoyt Axton wrote this nonsense song, and Three Dog Night had the number one hit back in 1971. "Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine. I never understood a thing he said, but I helped him drink his wine. And he always had some mighty fine wine." Mmmm, Bullfrog wine. Take that Napa Valley. I wouldn't mind finding a bullfrog like that, instead of the kind that eats up all our native animals.
The Cure	The Snakepit	To me, Robert Smith sees himself as a snake in the snakepit, instead of a victim in this 1987 dirge. "Well we're a mile under the ground And I'm thinking that it's Christmas And I'm kissing you hard Like I've got very important business And no-one knows And no-one sees us Because they're drinking themselves senseless And I'm writhing And I'm writhing And I'm writhing in the snakepit"
The Dead Milkmen	Big Lizard	Some 80's pop punk which should be required listening at every pet store that sells lizards. "Big lizard in my backyard Can't afford to feed it anymore Big lizard in my backyard Bustin' down my neighbour's door I bought a big lizard Only a dollar fifty Well, that's pretty neat Yeah it's ***** nifty But I just can't afford to feed it"
Bo Diddley	Who Do You Love?	Bad old Mr. Diddley likes to use snakes to house and clothe himself in this early rock classic. "I walk 47 miles of barbed wire, I use a cobra-snake for a necktie, I got a brand new house on the roadside, Made from rattlesnake hide, I got a brand new chimney made on top, Made out of a human skull, Now come on take a walk with me, arlene, And tell me, who do you love?"
The Doobie Brothers	Cotton Mouth	Yes, I know, I'm listing a song by the Doobie Brothers. This one seems to conjure up a lazy country day in the south. Nothin' wrong with that. "Red eyed momma keep cryin’ Blue eyed cat keeps a lyin’ Catfish keep his eye on the string And that cotton mouth keep on windin’ Sing, sing, sing Dark moon keeps hidin’ And ’gator, he keeps right on slidin’ And bull frog, he ain’t mindin’ Oh, cotton mouth keep on windin’ Sing, sing, sing"
The Doors	The End	The moody 60's psychedelic rock classic that opened "Apocalypse Now" "There's danger on the edge of town Ride the King's highway, baby Weird scenes inside the gold mine Ride the highway west, baby Ride the snake, ride the snake To the lake, the ancient lake, baby The snake is long, seven miles Ride the snake...he's old, and his skin is cold The west is the best The west is the best Get here, and we'll do the rest"
Steve Earle	Copperhead Road	This country rocker has nothing to do with herps, but it's Steve Earle, always a favorite. It's about moonshine, murder, marijuana growing, and Viet Nam flashbacks from D.E.A. helicopters that all take place down Copperhead Road. He has another song "Snake Oil," about a snake oil salesman who pretends to be a savior to the disposessed while he cheats them, just like the Reagan administration did.
Steve Earle	Snake Oil	"Ladies and gentlemen, attention please Come in close so everyone can see I got a tale to tell A listen don't cost a dime And if you believe that we're gonna get along just fine Now I've been travelin' all around I heard trouble's come to your town Well I've got a little somethin' Guaranteed to ease your mind It's call Snake Oil y'all It's been around for a long, long time Say, your crops'll burn if it don't rain soon Ain't seen a drop since the tenth of June Well I can open up the sky People never fear If you ain't impressed yet, just tell me what you wanna hear Well you lost your farm so you moved to town You get a job, they shut the factory down Now you sit around all day long feelin' sad and blue You need Snake Oil y'all, tell you what I'm gonna do"
Fleetwood Mac	The Rattlesnake Shake	From the late '60's or early '70's back when they were a blues band. It sure ain't about rattlesnakes, but it is a good blues rocker with a mean guitar riff so it's on the list. "You need some love You must have the blues Ain't but the one thing A good man can do He do the shake The rattlesnake shake Man, do the shake Yes, and jerk away the blues Now, jerk it"
Grandaddy	Broken Household Appliance National Forest	A song from 2000 from the great Modesto Indie rock band. I have been to this National Forest, which has branches on the outskirts of every town. "Sit on the toaster like a rock No need to worry about a shock All of the microwaves are dead Just like the salamander said The refrigerators house the frogs The conduit is the hollow log Broken household appliance national forest Air conditioners in the woods Broken household appliance national forest Mud and metal mixing good"
Tom T. Hall	Sneaky Snake	This is a really silly country novelty song - the sort of thing kids like. "Boys and girls take warning, if you go near the lake Keep your eyes wide open, and look for Sneaky Snake. Now maybe you won't see him, maybe you won't hear But he'll sneak up behind you, and drink all your root beer. And then Sneaky Snake goes dancin', wiggli' and a hissin'..."
PJ Harvey	Snake	In this dark, dirty, early PJ screamer, Eve tries to explain how the snake lied and tricked her, but it's too late. "You snake, you crawled between my legs, said want it all it's yours, you bet, I'll make you queen of everything."
Clarence Frogman Henry	I Ain't Got No Home	He can sing like a man, he can sing like a girl, and he can sing like a frog, and he demonstrates it in this song.
Sterling Holloway	Trust in Me (The Python's Song)	From the movie "The Jungle Book." This is an unusual one, since it's supposed to be sung by a snake. But it has flute music, of course, and lots of sibilance. Centered around the old myth that snakes hypnotize their victims. You'll never trust a snake again after hearing this one. "Trust in me, just in me Shut your eyes and trust in me (Hold still please) You can sleep safe and sound Knowing I am around Slip into silent slumber Sail on a silver mist Slowly and surely your senses Will cease to resist Trust in me, just in me Shut your eyes and trust in me"
John Lee Hooker	Crawling King Snake	"You know you caught me crawlin' baby When the grass was very high I'm just gonna keep on crawlin' now baby until the day I die, because I'm a crawlin' king snake baby, and I rules my den Don't you hangin' around my mate, wanna use her for myself." This blues classic needs no explanation. Howling Wolf covered it, along with the Doors, and lots of other musicians.
Harlan Howard	The Everglades	The 1961 country song that became a hit for the Kingston Trio about a nice young man who killed a man and became a fugitive in the Everglades, not knowing that the jury declared the killing was in self defense. Not much about herps really, but it's worth listing because of the gators line in the chorus. "Now, the posse went in and they came back out. They said he'll die and there ain't no doubt. It's an eye for an eye so the debt is paid. He won't last long in the Everglades. A man can't live in the Everglades. Where a man can hide and never be found and have no fear of the bayin' hounds. But he better keep movin' and don't stand still. If the 'skeeters don't get him then the 'gators will. Runnin' like a dog through the Everglades."
Jethro Tull	Salamander	"Salamander - born in the sun-kissed flame. Who was it lit your candle - branded you with your name? I see you walking by my window in your Kensington haze. Salamander, burn for me and I'll burn for you." 1976 acoustic guitar Prog Rock complete with a flute solo and salamanders walking by your window. More here about the myth that salamanders can withstand fire (which probably derived from sightings of salamanders coming out of logs that were thrown on fires.)
Jethro Tull	Bungle in the Jungle	Brit folk blues prog rock from 1974 which always makes me think about snakes eating kittens. "Let's bungle in the jungle --- well, that's all right by me. I'm a tiger when I want love, but I'm a snake if we disagree. The rivers are full of crocodile nasties and He who made kittens put snakes in the grass. He's a lover of life but a player of pawns --- yes, the King on His sunset lies waiting for dawn to light up His Jungle as play is resumed. The monkeys seem willing to strike up the tune."
Lonnie Johnson	Black Snake Blues	Another classic blues song from 1928. Victoria Spivey, Clifton Chenier, Fats Waller, and many more have their own versions of the song. " In my path lays a black snake, ‘bout 8 or 9 inches. Here me screamin', man I ain't dreamin'. In my path lay a black snake, ‘bout 8 or 9 inches long. Got my axe and mean to kill him, before he sucks my rider stone."
The Kingston Trio	The Everglades	This popular folk group of the early 60's had a hit with this cover of the Harlan Howard tune.
Del McCoury Band	Snake in the House	"There's a snake in the house, and he's been sheddin' skin, leavin' behind, signs of where he's been. Now I'm tellin' you if it's the last thing that you do, there's a snake in the house, get it out!" Nice use of the shedding skin metaphor. Cheaters always seem to be snakes, even in Bluegrass tunes like this one. See the Charlie Pride song for another perspective on this.
The Magnetic Fields	Boa Constrictor	"I spend my evenings alone talking to your picture, babe. Love is wrapped around my heart like a boa constrictor, babe." One of the 69 Love Songs from the great 3 volume 1999 concept album. This one is 58 seconds of sweet female vocal, nice pizzicato acoustic guitar, and lyrics that veer into murder.
Dave Matthews Band	Alligator Pie	An upbeat rock song about a tasty new herp snack that's especially good when you're stranded on the roof in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, a victim of faulty levee construction. "Floating in the lower nine Waiting for a boat to throw me a line See my Stella smile Sitting on the roof eating alligator pie First day the water rise Second day the sun is high Third day Stella cried cause night times dark as a dead man's eye's Tell me when help is gonna come Stella said daddy when you gonna put me in a song?"
Maude Mills	Black Snake Blues	Another blues about that mean black snake. Maybe I should put something up by the heavy metal band Whitesnake, just to even things out. "Oh, I ain't gonna tell you no more, I said oh, I ain't gonna tell you no more, Stay away from my window, don't you knock at my door. It's a mean black snake that's carried me to this gate, Taught me my mistake, treated me hard to take, It's a mean black snake that's doing me this way. If I ever go back south, I'm going back there to stay."
Motley Crue	Rattlesnake Shake	A Heavy Metal cover of the Fleetwood Mac blues rock song.
Motorhead	Love Me Like a Reptile	"Love me like a reptile, love me like a reptile, I'm gonna sink my fangs in you." A high-energy classic from one of the early English Heavy Metal bands. I've been waiting 25 years for the followup - "Amplex Me Like an Amphibian." What's the hold up, Lemmy? In the same vein, Motorhead also recorded "Snake Bite Love"
The Mountain Goats	Birth of Serpents	A 2011 song with references to both herps and California from John Darnielle who started performing in Claremont in 1991. I think we've all seen those rooms with heat lamps… "Let the camera pull back till the fullness of the frame is clear and plain Peer into the screen until you see it all like a vision in a crystal ball Let it all fill with smoke Is this somebody's idea of a joke? Let the fixer work until the silver's washed away And take the picture from the tray Look hard at what you see and then remember you and me And let the truth spring free Like a jack-in the box Like a hundred-thousand cuckoo clocks From the Oregon corners to the Iowa corn To the rooms with the heat lamps where the snakes get born Crawl through the tunnel and follow, follow the light north west See that young man who dwells inside his body like an uninvited guest See the tunnel twist Clutch your birth rite in your fist Let the camera do its dirty work down there in the dark Sink low, rise high, bring back some blurry pictures to remember all your darker moments by Permanent bruises on our knees Never forget what it felt like to live in rooms like these From the California coastline to the Iowa corn To the rooms with the heat lamps where the snakes get born"
Willie Nelson	Down in the Everglades	Willie sings of lazing around getting high, drinking Gatorade (of course) and watching eagles fly in the Everglades. "There ain't gonna be no hurry There ain't gonna be no rush Just a lazy style like a crocodile Playin' in the mangrove brush I'll float on down the river Let the speed boat speed away I'll drift around making gator sounds Down in the Everglades"
Charlie Pride	The Snakes Crawl at Night	"Oh the snakes crawl at night, that's what they say. When the sun goes down, then the snakes will play." This could be an anthem for anyone who's been cheated on, or for anyone who likes to drive backroads at night hunting for snakes. A cheezy 60's country classic from one of the few successful African American Country singers.
R.E.M.	The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight	There's really nothing much about sidewinders here, just a bunch of nonsense lyrics and a very catchy pop arrangement from the great Georgia indie band. The singer tells someone to call him on the pay phone. (Remember those?) "If I don't pick up, hang up, call back, let it ring some more. If I don't pick up, pick up... the sidewinder sleeps, sleeps, sleeps in a coil." That's followed by a lot more nonsense about stupid signs, instant soup, blackeyed peas, candy bars, falling stars, Nescafe, and the Cat in the Hat, along with a great slurred-together chorus. Don't try to make sense of it, just enjoy this 1992 pop gem - one of REM's greatest hits.
The Replacements	Rattlesnake	This is not one of the better songs by this great hard rocking 80's band from Minneapolis, but Paul Westerberg is a rattle rattle rattlesnake. "Cruisin' on my belly all night long You gotta hold on You gotta hold on You got a rattlesnake Say I'm a rattlesnake Cruisin' on my belly all night long You gotta hold on You gotta hold on You got a rattlesnake I'm a rattlesnake I'm a rattle, rattle, rattle I'm a ra, a ra, a ra... A ra, a ra, a ra..."
Rihanna	California King Bed	Rihanna sings about board flipping in March near Carlsbad and finding a huge "bed" of California Kingsnakes... OK, just kidding, it's just another song about a king-sized bed. "Chest to chest Nose to nose Palm to palm We were always just that close Wrist to wrist Toe to toe Lips that felt just like the inside of a rose So, how come when I reach out my finger It feels like more than distance between us In this California king bed We're ten thousand miles apart I've been California wishing on these stars For your heart for me My California king"
David Rovics	Alligator Song	As a herper, you have to like this guy: The inspiration for his folk novelty song comes from a scientific journal article ("Reduction in Penis Size and Plasma Testosterone Concentrations in Juvenile Alligators Living in a Contaminated Environment", by Guillette et al., published in General and Comparative Endocrinology, 1996.) "Everybody's getting cancer At a geometrical rate Maybe it's something you drank or breathed Maybe it's something you ate Perhaps this doesn't concern you Hey, we've all gotta go sometime But maybe I can tell you something To make you change your mind The alligator * are shriveling up Soon they'll all be through Yeah, the alligator * are shrinking fast And it will happen to you It will happen to you, boys It will happen to you The alligator *** are shriveling up And it will happen to you They're an indicator species Like canaries in the mine They're the first to kick the bucket When things might otherwise seem fine So let's be frank and honest As the situation begs Boys, what are you gonna do About that thing between your legs"
Shel Silverstein	Boa Constrictor	"I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor And I don't like it very much! Oh no, oh no, he swallowed my toe, he swallowed my toe Oh gee, oh gee, he's up to my knee, he's up to my knee Oh fiddle, oh fiddle, he's reached my middle, he's reached my middle Oh heck, oh heck, he's up to my neck, he's up to my neck Oh dread, oh dread, he swallowed my.... schlirppp!" This is the 1962 folk song that has been covered by people such as Peter, Paul and Mary, Johnny Cash, and thousands of grade school classes. There are a lot of variations on the end, but in all of them, the singer never gets to finish the song.
Jim Stafford	Spiders and Snakes	The country hit from 1974 about a terrible and ignorant girl who refuses a heartfelt romantic gift. And worse, she puts an animal from the class Amphibia into classes Reptilia AND Arachnida! What a Loser. 'I remember when Mary Lou said "You wanna walk me home from school" And I said, "Yes, I do" She said, "I don't have to go right home And I'm the kind that likes to be alone As long as you would" I said, "Me, too" And so we took a stroll Wound up down by the swimmin' hole And she said, "Do what you want to do" I got silly and I found a frog In the water by a hollow log And I shook it at her And I said "This frog's for you" She said, "I don't like spiders and snakes And that ain't what it takes to love me You fool, you fool I don't like spiders and snakes And that ain't what it takes to love me Like I want to be loved by you" '
Mamie Van Doren	Salamander	They don't get much cheezier than this 50's rocker from the blonde bombshell "Girl Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll." This one is a real rarity - a pop song that uses a salamander as a simile: "You're as slippery as a salamander, slip and slide away.You're as tricky as a salamander, I don't want you today. Jiggle and wigglle and wiggle and rock... Mander mander, salamander, slip and slide away."
Townes Van Zandt	Snake Song	The late great Texas singer-songwriter sings us a snake's eye view in this folk blues. "You can't hold me I'm too slippery I do no sleepin' I get lonely You can touch me If you want to I got poison I just might bite you Lie in circles On the sunlight Shine like diamonds On a dark night Ain't no mercy In my smilin' Only fangs and Sweet beguiling"
Sonny Boy Williamson II	Fattening Frogs for Snakes	"It took me a long time, to find out my mistakes Took me a long time to find out my mistakes (it sho' did man) But I bet you my bottom dollar, I'm not fattenin' no more frogs for snakes." The 1957 hit from the great Mississippi bluesman.
Al Wilson	The Snake	See the description of Oscar Brown Jr.s version, above. I think this one might be the original. Both are excellent.
Wu-Tang Clan	Black Mamba	Heavy hip hop from Vol. 2 of the soundtrack of Kill Bill with lots of nice snake wordplay. In the movie Bill's code name is Snake Charmer and the members of his Deadly Viper Assassination Squad are named after snakes - California Mountain Snake (they must have forgot the "king" in front of "snake"), Sidewinder, Copperhead, Cottonmouth, and Black Mamba. If you look up the lyrics to the song online, you'll find lots of mistakes because the transcribers don't know anything about snakes - "cobra" becomes "coma", "fer-de-lance deadly snake" becomes "fertile lands' deadly state" etc. "Yo unbreakable steel sword swingin', face the Black Mamba Deadly Vipers, squeeze ya life out like anacondas ... ... ... ... ... test the Black Mamba, in a spit like the cobra Fill his Copperhead with the hollow tip lead Yo.. who wanna dance with the fer-de-lance deadly snake? Cottonmouth sticky from the (...?) Blowin' smoke through the Viper Pit Hold a listener tight, mic constrictor Words from the Gita, swift as Krishna"

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