SERPENT! [Cold Open — wings beating in darkness] What are you doing up here? [Female whisper] I don’t know. [Pigeon voice] Serpent. [Sub-bass slithers in] Sss—sss—sss— [DROP] SERPENT! Slide Bend that spine Head in the clouds Body out of line Sss-ka! Sss-ka! Move like that Call me what you want— I don’t answer back. [Verse 1 — clipped female rhythm] Neck through the branches Face to the sky One bird watching With fire in her eye Says I want eggs Says I came to steal Says what she sees Must be what is real Girl or serpent? Wrong or right? Depends who’s looking In the middle of the night [Pre-Drop] Long-long Stretch that frame You saw my shape— Then gave it a name. [MAIN DROP] SERPENT! (Sss-ka, sss-ka!) That’s what you see SERPENT! But that ain’t me Twist left Coil right Cut through the branches Bite through the night Sss-ka! Tick-tick! Venom in the bass You can name my body— But you don’t know my face. [Instrumental Dance Break] (Sss… sss… ka-ka-ka…) (Wing—flap! Wing—flap!) (Slide… lock… switch!) BRRRAH—HISS! [Verse 2 — lower attitude] Every girl eats eggs sometimes Doesn’t mean scales crawl in her mind Accusations don't make it true Maybe what you see says more about you Pigeon on the nest Guarding what she knows Anything different Must be one of her foes [Beat strips down] Look at my neck Look at my skin Tell me again— What box I fit in. [Call and Response] What are you? NOT YOUR NAME! What are you? NOT YOUR CLAIM! Girl or snake? SAME HEARTBEAT! Then let that long neck Move with the beat! [HEAVY DROP] S-S-S-SERPENT! Slide through the low end Coil through the drum Stretch that rhythm Till the whole thing comes— UNDONE! Head too high Feet too far Still don't change Who you are Sss-ka! Sss-ka! Let ’em stare If I don't know myself yet— How could you from there? [Bridge — strong sung vocal] I’m changing every minute Still something underneath You can fear the shape I’m wearing You don’t get to name the thing [Silence] So tell me… Am I a serpent? [Whispered reply] Does it matter? [FINAL DROP] SERPENT! Let it hiss Put that accusation In the kick Wing-flap! Neck-snap! Break that line Your idea of me Doesn’t make it mine Slide Out of sight Leave that Pigeon Arguing all night Sss-ka! Tick-tick! Bass descend— Who am I? [Beat cuts] Ask me again.
