Sneaky Snake
Tom T. Hall Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴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
And maybe you won't hear
But he'll sneak up behind you

And drink all your root beer

And then sneak snake goes dancing
Wiggling and a-hissing
Sneaky snake goes dancing
A-giggling and a-kissing
I don't like old sneaky snake
He laughs too much you see
When he goes wiggling through the grass
It tickles his underneath

Well sneaky snake drinks root beer
And he just makes me sick
When he is not dancing
He looks just like stick

Now he doesn't have any arms or legs
You cannot see his ears
And while we are not looking
He's stealing all of our beer

And then sneak snake goes dancing
Wiggling and a-hissing
Sneaky snake goes dancing
A-giggling and a-kissing
I don't like old sneaky snake
He laughs too much you see

When he goes wiggling through the grass
It tickles his underneath

Overall Meaning

The song "Sneaky Snake" by Tom T. Hall is a cautionary tale about a sneaky snake that lives near a lake. The lyrics warn children to be careful when they go near the lake and to keep an eye out for the sneaky snake. Even if they don't see or hear him, he could sneak up on them and drink all their root beer. The song conveys a sense of playful danger as it describes the snake as he goes wiggling and hissing around the grass.

The chorus of the song describes how the sneaky snake goes dancing, giggling, and kissing. The lyrics suggest that sneaky snake is a mischievous trickster that likes to steal beer and root beer, making people sick with his taste. The song also describes how the sneaky snake looks like a stick when he's not dancing, and how he doesn't have arms or legs or visible ears. The lyrics are light-hearted and playful, but they also teach children to be careful and aware of their surroundings.

One possible interpretation of this song is that it's a metaphor for the dangers of temptation and indulgence. The sneaky snake can represent any kind of temptation that lures people in with promises of pleasure, but ultimately leaves them feeling worse. The warnings in the song to keep your eyes open and be careful can be seen as advice to resist temptation and not give in to the sneaky snake's charms.

Line by Line Meaning

Boys and girls take warning
Listen up kids, I've got some important advice for you

If you go near the lake
If you happen to be in the vicinity of the lake

Keep your eyes wide open
Be vigilant and alert at all times

And look for sneaky snake
Be on the lookout for a mischievous serpent

Now, maybe you won't see him
It's possible that you may not spot him

And maybe you won't hear
There's a chance you won't even hear him

But he'll sneak up behind you
Regardless, he will creep up on you from behind

And drink all your root beer
And then steal all of your root beer

And then sneak snake goes dancing
After getting some refreshments, the sneaky serpent proceeds to dance

Wiggling and a-hissing
He moves his serpentine body and hisses

Sneaky snake goes dancing
The sneaky snake really loves to dance

A-giggling and a-kissing
He's giggling and even giving some smooches

I don't like old sneaky snake
I'm not fond of this sly little serpent

He laughs too much you see
He seems to find everything amusing

When he goes wiggling through the grass
When he slithers through the grass

It tickles his underneath
It seems to be a ticklish experience for him

Well sneaky snake drinks root beer
This devious serpent enjoys a good root beer

And he just makes me sick
It's a nauseating thought

When he is not dancing
When he's not showing off his dancing moves

He looks just like stick
He's indistinguishable from a twig

Now he doesn't have any arms or legs
This snake is limbless

You cannot see his ears
He doesn't seem to have any visible ears either

And while we are not looking
When we're not paying attention

He's stealing all of our beer
He's busy pilfering our beer supply

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TOM HALL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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