Snakes Lyrics

[Intro: Dan Smith]
Ooh, I'm not ready
Ooh, I'm not ready
Ooh, I'm not ready
Ooh, I'm not ready

[Verse 1: Dan Smith]
Snakes are biting at my heels
The worries that refuse to let us go

I’ve been kicking them away
And hoping not to let them take control

[Pre-Chorus 1: Dan Smith]
Ooh, I’m not ready
Drink to escape their bites
Show me distraction
Even for just one night


[Chorus: Dan Smith]
'Cause it's easier to bury
My head in the sand sometimes
Yes, it's easier to bury
My head in the sand sometimes

And I know, I know, I know
It's not the right way to go
But I pray for the ground to swallow me who-ole
Ooh, I'm not ready
Ooh, I'm not ready
[Verse 2: Dan Smith]
Now these days are feeling dark
We're struggling to figure out last year

When the woman on the news
Keeps saying things that no one wants to hear


[Pre-Chorus 2: Dan Smith]
Ooh, I’m not ready
Drink to escape our minds
Show me distraction
Even for just one night

[Chorus: Dan Smith]
'Cause it's easier to bury
My head in the sand sometimes
Yes, it's easier to bury
My head in the sand sometimes

And I know, I know, I know
It's not the right way to go
But I pray for the ground to swallow me who-ole
Yes, I pray for the ground to swallow me who-o-ole
Ooh, I'm not ready
Ooh, I'm not ready

[Intermezzo]
"Come on, boys. Let's go tear this place apart!
(Woo, Oh!)"

[Bridge: Kyle Simmons]
'Cause I know life is simple when
I can just ignore it all
'Cause I know, 'cause I know, 'cause I know
Life is simple when
I can just ignore it all
'Cause I know, 'cause I know, 'cause I know


[Pre-Chorus 3: Dan Smith, Kyle Simmons]
If I’m not ready ('Cause I know, 'cause I know, 'cause I know)
Snakes will consume me whole ('Cause I know, 'cause I know, 'cause I know)
If I'm not steady ('Cause I know, 'cause I know, 'cause I know)
Maybe they'll take control ('Cause I know, 'cause I know, 'cause I know)

[Chorus: Dan Smith]
But it's easier to bury
My head in the sand sometimes
Yes, it's easier to bury
My head in the sand sometimes

I know, I know, I know
It's not the right way to go
But I pray for the ground to swallow me who-ole
Yes, I know, I know, I know
It's not the right way to go
But I pray for the ground to swallow me who-o-ole

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About

Genius Annotation

“Snakes” uses the reptiles as a symbol for anxieties that the singer refuses to deal with, allowing them to haunt his life.

Also, during Bastille’s performance at EXIT Festival 2016, Dan explained the meaning of “Snakes”:

This song is called Snakes and it’s about going out and getting drunk on a friday night.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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