Crawling Kingsnake
The Black Keys Lyrics
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Well I'm a crawling king snake, baby
Crawl up on your door
Crawl up to your window, baby
Crawl up on your floor
I do anything I want to, baby
Crawl up on your door
Crawling king snake
And I'm going
Yeah, I'ma crawl up to your window, baby
Crawl up to your door
See anything I want to, baby
Crawl up on your door
Feel me coming in
Crawl up on your door, yeah
Crawling king snake
And I wanna
Well my mamma caught me crawlin'
With those girls I know
I wasn't very big then
And I wanna crawl some more
Do you love me, ma?
Crawl up to your door
Only thing you wanted, baby
Crawl up to your floor
Crawling king snake
And I wanna
Crawling king snake, baby
Crawl up on your door
Do anything I want to
Crawl up on your floor
Catch me crawling in
Do you want some more?
Know I want you
Crawl up on your door
Crawling king snake
And I wanna
The Black Keys’ song “Crawling Kingsnake” is a cover of the 1941 blues classic originally performed by singer-songwriter, John Lee Hooker. The sexually-charged song follows the story of a man who is confident in his own abilities as he approaches a woman who he is eager to seduce. The lyrics are symbolic of Hooker’s persona as a bluesman and womanizer, using the image of a crawling snake as a representation of sexual desire and potency.
In the first stanza, the singer refers to himself as a “crawling king snake,” crawling up to the door, window, and floor, suggesting that he can go anywhere he wants to go. He knows what he wants and is confident in his own abilities to get what he desires. The repeated line “And I’m going” emphasizes his eagerness and determination to seduce the woman.
Further into the song, the singer recalls his childhood when his mother caught him “crawlin’ with those girls.” He asks the question, “Do you love me, ma?” which may suggest that he is seeking his mother’s approval, or it may be a metaphor for seeking approval from the woman he is trying to seduce. Ultimately, he declares his desire to crawl up to her door once more.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm a crawling king snake, baby
I am a sly, seductive person who will slither his way into your life.
Crawl up on your door
I will make my presence known to you by showing up at your doorstep.
Crawl up to your window, baby
I will use any means necessary to get closer to you, even if it means sneaking in through your window.
Crawl up on your floor
I will not hesitate to get down and dirty to achieve my goal of getting closer to you.
I do anything I want to, baby
I am a free spirit who will pursue my desires without regard for the consequences.
Crawling king snake
My reptilian nature drives me to pursue what I want at all costs.
And I'm going
I will not stop until I achieve what I desire.
Yeah, I'ma crawl up to your window, baby
I am not deterred by obstacles like walls or windows.
See anything I want to, baby
I will explore every part of your life, taking what I want along the way.
Feel me coming in
My presence will be felt by you even before I physically enter your space.
Crawling king snake
My pursuit of you is relentless and unrelenting.
And I wanna
I am driven by my desire for you, and nothing will stand in my way.
Well my mamma caught me crawlin'
Even from a young age, I have been driven by my natural instinct to crawl towards what I want.
With those girls I know
I have always been a ladies' man, using my charm to get what I want.
I wasn't very big then
Although I may not have been physically imposing, my cunning and charm have always made up for it.
And I wanna crawl some more
My crawl towards you is never-ending.
Do you love me, ma?
I will use flattery to win you over, appealing to your emotions and desires.
Crawl up to your door
I will continue to pursue you, even if it means pushing myself to extremes.
Only thing you wanted, baby
All you ever wanted was someone like me, who is relentless in the pursuit of what they desire.
Catch me crawling in
I am unstoppable in my pursuit of you, like a king snake who always gets what he wants.
Do you want some more?
I know you are attracted to my relentless pursuit, and I am willing to go even further to keep you interested.
Know I want you
My desire for you is all-consuming, and there's nothing I won't do to pursue you.
Crawling king snake
I am the embodiment of the king snake, unstoppable in my pursuit of what I want.
And I wanna
My desire for you is insatiable, and no obstacle will stop me from pursuing it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bernard Besman, John Lee Hooker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind