[SILAS CROW — SNAKE IN THE GRASS] [1931 VERSION] [PRIMITIVE MISSISSIPPI DELTA BLUES] [ONE WEATHERED BLACK MALE SOLO VOCALIST] [THICK RURAL MISSISSIPPI SOUTHERN DRAWL] [ROUGH GRAVELLY VOICE, CRACKED AND MOURNFUL] [NATURAL SOUTHERN VERNACULAR, SLURRED WORD ENDINGS] [UNEVEN TIMING, LOOSE SPEECH-SUNG PHRASING] [HEAVY WOODEN FOOT STOMP THROUGHOUT] [RAW ACOUSTIC BOTTLENECK SLIDE GUITAR] [SCRATCHY 1931 SHELLAC MONO RECORDING] [NO MODERN BAND, NO CLEAN STUDIO VOCALS] [INTRO — INSTRUMENTAL ONLY] [Eight loose bars of battered acoustic slide guitar] [Heavy wooden foot stomping on every slow pulse] [Raw buzzing strings, droning bass notes] [Loud scratchy record noise, hiss and crackle] [NO VOCALS, HUMMING, CHANTS OR SPEECH BEFORE VERSE 1] [VERSE 1 — LOW, CRACKED, DRAWN-OUT BLUES] You shook mah hand... Had that loaded smile... Mmm, shook mah hand, now... Had that loaded smile... Said you gon' walk beside me... Ever' lonesome mile... [RAW SLIDE GUITAR ANSWER] [HEAVY WOODEN FOOT STOMP] Said you had mah back... That's what you tol' me... Mmm, had mah back... That's what you tol' me... But you was countin' mah footsteps... While you walked alongside me... [SLIDE GUITAR MOANS] You knowed them names... You knowed that game... Mmm, knowed them names... Knowed that game... Never showed them teeth, no... Just knowed where to lay that blame... [PRE-CHORUS — BITTER, NEAR-SPOKEN] Don't need no gun... To take yo' shot... Mmm, don't need no match... To burn the whole lot... Some folks lie... Some folks steal... Some shake yo' hand, now... While they turn that wheel... [CHORUS — HAUNTING DELTA BLUES REFRAIN] Snake in the gra-a-ass... I hear you movin'... Mmm, snake in the gra-a-ass... I hear you movin'... Smile in mah face... While that knife go through me... [LONG, CRYING SLIDE GUITAR RESPONSE] Snake in the gra-a-ass... I know yo' kind... Mmm, snake in the gra-a-ass... I know yo' kind... Say you got mah back... While you workin' behind... [POST-CHORUS — SLOW, MOURNFUL] Keep them friends close... Keep them enemies in sight... Mmm, keep them friends close... Keep them enemies in sight... It's them ones call you brother... Cut you in the night... [INSTRUMENTAL — 8 LOOSE BARS] [HEAVY WOODEN FOOT STOMP] [RAW DISTORTED ACOUSTIC SLIDE GUITAR] [BUZZING STRINGS, SCRATCHY MONO RECORDING] [NO VOCALS] [VERSE 2 — GRAVELLY, EXHAUSTED] You played that part... You wore that face... Mmm, played that part... Wore that face... Sat right down beside me... Like you knowed yo' place... [SLIDE GUITAR ANSWER] You passed that word... When I wasn't there... Mmm, passed that word... When I wasn't there... Then you looked all surprised... When it filled the air... Ever' favor had strings... Ever' promise had a lie... Mmm, ever' favor had strings... Ever' promise had a lie... You pulled that groun' from under me... Never looked me in the eye... [CHORUS — STRAINED, BITTER] Snake in the gra-a-ass... I hear you movin'... Smile in mah face... While that knife go through me... Snake in the gra-a-ass... I know yo' kind... Say you got mah back... While you workin' behind... [INSTRUMENTAL SOLO — 16 LOOSE BARS] [RAW BOTTLENECK SLIDE GUITAR] [HEAVY WOODEN FOOT STOMP CONTINUES] [IRREGULAR TWELVE-BAR BLUES PHRASING] [STRING BUZZ, OPEN-G DRONE] [LOUD SHELLAC HISS AND CRACKLE] [NO VOCALS] [BRIDGE — NEAR-WHISPERED, BROKEN VOICE] Funny how that truth come out... When the room get quiet... Mmm, truth come out... When the room get quiet... All that talk 'bout loyalty... Couldn't never buy it... I don't need no revenge... Don't need no scene... Mmm, don't need revenge... Don't need no scene... I know just what it mean, now... When you call yo'self mah friend... [BREAKDOWN — GUITAR AND HEAVY FOOT STOMP] I seen them tracks... I heard that sound... Mmm, seen them tracks... Heard that sound... Watched you stand there smilin'... While you dragged me down... Ain't no more favors... Ain't no more trust... Mmm, no more favors... Ain't no more trust... I know what's been crawlin'... Down beneath that dust... [FINAL REFRAIN — FRAIL, BITTER, DRAWN OUT] Snake in the gra-a-ass... I know yo' kind... Mmm, snake in the gra-a-ass... You was never on mah side... [LONG, LONELY SLIDE GUITAR MOAN] [HEAVY WOODEN FOOT STOMP] [OUTRO — WEARY, ALMOST SPOKEN] You can keep that handshake... You can keep that smile... Mmm, keep that handshake... Keep that smile... I know what you are now... Just took me a little while... [FINAL INSTRUMENTAL — 8 BARS] [RAW DESCENDING BOTTLENECK SLIDE GUITAR] [HEAVY WOODEN FOOT STOMP SLOWS] [ONE RATTLING BASS STRING RINGS OUT] [FOOT STOMP STOPS] [LOUD SHELLAC CRACKLE AND HISS] [ABRUPT RECORDING CUTOFF] [NO VOCALS] [END]
