Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a vivid, almost primal picture of encountering a rattlesnake, focusing on the immediate sensory and emotional impact. The repeated chorus, "Rattlesnake, rattlesnake, rattlesnake, rattles me," establishes a direct, almost inescapable connection between the creature and the narrator's state of being. This isn't just an observation; it's a personal affliction, a constant agitation. The verses introduce a sense of unease, starting with "Isolation, trepidation" and the contradictory advice, "Don't fear nothing, Snake is bluffing," which is immediately undercut by the action, "Whips his tail, Sends you running." This sets up a dynamic of perceived threat versus actual danger, creating a palpable tension. The core conflict seems to be the narrator's struggle with this persistent, unsettling presence. The snake is described as "hiding" in "vegetation," suggesting it's a hidden danger, a lurking threat. The phrase "Leaves you riling" captures the agitated state this encounter induces, a feeling of being provoked and unsettled. Later, the snake is "cranky" and its tail-whipping becomes "in a frenzy," escalating the perceived aggression and the narrator's internal turmoil. The lyrics suggest a cyclical nature to this fear, where the threat is ever-present, even when not actively striking. The most striking shift occurs in the bridge, where the perspective dramatically flips. The narrator becomes the serpent, declaring, "I'm the serpent, Devil's servant." This is a powerful, unsettling transformation, embodying the very threat that caused the initial fear. The description of fangs, poison, and the victim's immobile state, "Screaming like a maniac," "Crying like a baby child," and hearing the tail "rattling 'til your death," is intensely visceral. This personification of the snake as an agent of destruction, a "Devil's servant," amplifies the terror and the sense of inevitable doom. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their raw, almost hypnotic repetition and the stark contrast between the initial fear and the later embodiment of the threat. The relentless "Rattle, rattle, rattle" and the chorus create a sense of being trapped in a loop of anxiety. By having the narrator become the snake, the lyrics tap into a deeper psychological territory, exploring the idea of internalizing fear or becoming consumed by the very thing that terrifies us. It’s a potent, unsettling portrayal of primal fear and its potential to transform the observer into the observed menace.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Rock, Space Rock

Rattlesnake

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[Chorus] Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me [Verse 1] Isolation Trepidation Don't fear nothing Snake is bluffing Whips his tail Sends you running [Chorus] Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me [Verse 2] Vegetation Aggravation Found him hiding Snake is smiling Whips his tail Leaves you riling [Chorus] Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me [Refrain] Rattle, rattle, rattle Rattle, rattle, rattle Rattle, rattle, rattle [Verse 3] Hibernation Altercation Don't get angry Snake is cranky Whips his tail In a frenzy [Chorus] Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me [Refrain] Rattle, rattle, rattle Rattle, rattle, rattle Rattle, rattle, rattle [Bridge] I'm the serpent Devil's servant Time to meet your end Fangs are ready for the strike Deadly razor sharp Poison with a single spike While you're immobile Screaming like a maniac after my attack Crying like a baby child in exile Sweat drips out of every pore as I bite you more and more and more and Take one last look at your captor And hear my tail rattling 'til your death Rattling 'til your death [Refrain] Rattle, rattle, rattle Rattle, rattle, rattle [Bridge] I'm the serpent Devil's servant Time to meet your end Fangs are ready for the strike Deadly razor sharp Poison with a single spike When you're immobile Screaming like a maniac after my attack Crying like a baby child in exile Sweat drips out of every pore as I bite you more and more and more and Take one last look at your captor And hear my tail rattling 'til your death Rattling 'til your death [Refrain] Rattle, rattle, rattle Rattle, rattle, rattle Rattle, rattle, rattle [Verse 1] Isolation Trepidation Don't fear nothing Snake is bluffing Whips his tail Sends you running [Chorus] Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake, rattles me Rattlesnake, rattlesnake Rattlesnake

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Writers: Stu Mackenzie

Rattlesnake

Rattlesnake

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