According to the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is the year of the snake. Here are seven songs about serpents in an attempt to usher in some good luck…

Oscar Brown Jr. / The Snake

A lesser known track from the singer / songwriter / Civil Rights activist behind the jazz dance classic Work Song. Taken from Oscar’s 1963 LP, Tells It Like It Is! this is a similarly swinging, syncopated storytelling side. A parable, a warning, perhaps, for all those lovely ladies who fall for bad boys, foolishly thinking that they can change them. 

Bush Tetras / Snakes Crawl

New York post-punk funk, from the all female Bush Tetras, released in 1980 on the legendary label, 99 Records. Over 20 years later Phil Kieran collaborated with members of the band on an updated cover that has since become highly sought after, and slithered its way on the soundtrack for Donald Glover’s dark satire, The Swarm. 

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions / Rattlesnakes

Rattlesnakes was Lloyd Cole & The Commotions’ debut LP. The title track mixed Echo & The Bunnymen-esque strings and strumming with Lloyd’s poetry and literary allusions. Tempering the machismo of Norman Mailer and Ernest Hemingway with Joan Didion’s Play It As It Lays. Personally, the song’s a poignant reminder of my university days, and all the books I borrowed from better educated, more cultured partners. A working class kid, a fish out of water, I absorbed absolutely everything. It’s packed full of fantastic lyrics that coloured my life, and my own prose. Hearts like crazy paving. Love’s great disappointment. “Lean over on the bookcase if you really want to get straight…” was another of Lloyd’s lines.

The Garden Of Eden / Serpent In The Garden

Created by a collective led by fashion designer Pam Hogg and that featured Adamski’s brother, Mark, this is constantly shapeshifting UK acid house TB-303 and drum machine workout. Opening with cut up church bells and medieval monastic chant along the way it samples Todd Terry and shouts of “Acieeed!” Despite being as twisty as its title suggests, the track has a very happy, hippy, feel and was a big favourite with DJ Harvey and the Tonka Soundsystem. 

Guem et Zaka Percussion / Le Serpent

A terrific tune from 1978 that was an out and smash on both the original Balearic Beat and Afro / Cosmic scenes. 

Telex / Raised By Snakes

Brilliant Belgian band, with a background in jazz / fusion, who produced a ton of pioneering synth-pop sides, both for themselves and others. This is a fantastic, flickering Kraftwerk-ian electro cut, with cracking lyrics. You want the Razormaid remix. 

Townes Van Zandt / Snake Mountain Blues

This mean gunslinger ballad is an angry triad from the country music legend, aimed at some treacherous “yellow-headed” trouble. With yodels and poetry that finesse on frontier loneliness, some of its lyrics are perhaps a bit controversial for the present day. However, Colter Wall has also recorded an excellent edited / updated version. 

Happy New Year!!!

Honourable Mentions:

APE / Snakes Pass

Harold Budd / Serpent In Quicksilver

Cocteau Twins / Serpentskirt

Dunkelziffer / Keine Python

Drexciya / Sea Snake

Vincent Geminiani / Ophis Le Serpentaire

Jean Kassapian / The Snake

Jon Keleihor / Serpent in the Sky

Gigi Masin / Snake Theory

Menta / Snake charmer

Lee Morgan / The Sidewinder

Sly Mongoose / Snakes & Ladders (Rub N Tug Mix)

Waak Waak Djungi / Rainbow Serpent

Jah Wobble / Snakecharmer (Dub)