2. Doom/Sludge band from Saramento, CA - formed by members of Caulfield
Not to be confused with Australian 1980’s band The Church most famous for their hit-single “Under The Milky Way”.
Reptile
Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too feeble to let go
And you want to bite the hand
Should've stopped this long ago
Go now, you've been set free
Another month or so you'll be gorging on me
With your lovely smile
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
Like a real reptile
Had you coiled around my arm
How could you ever know
How I loved your diamond eyes
But that was long ago
Go now, you've been set free
Another month or so you'll poisoning me
With your lovely smile
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
Like a real reptile
And I should've believed Eve
She said we had to blow
She was the apple of my eye
It wasn't long ago
Go now, you've been set free
Another month or so you'll poisoning me
With your lovely smile
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
Like a real reptile
Oh go now, you've been set free
Another month or so you'll poisoning me
With your lovely smile
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
Like a real reptile
The Church's song Reptile is a powerful and metaphorical piece that elicits a feeling of disillusionment and betrayal. The song's lyrics suggest that the singer is in a destructive relationship that is too dangerous to keep yet too feeble to let go. The word "Reptile" is used as a metaphor to describe the other party in the relationship. The singer sees the other person as a snake, a creature that they used to love and care for, but now, they view them as poisonous and harmful. Despite the warning signs and previous attempts to let go, the singer admits their inability to escape from the relationship.
The chorus, "Go now, you've been set free, another month or so, you'll be gorging on me, with your lovely smile", creates a climax that emphasizes the separateness in the relationship. The singer tells the snake to leave, fully aware that they will return to take more from them. The other party is not just a snake; they are a "real reptile," signifying the singer's acknowledgment of the person's true nature.
One of the most interesting facets of the song is the symbolism it employs. The snake image connects to Biblical stories, where the Ophiuchus is the god of medicine and wisdom, wielding a serpent staff. The snakes are also present in the stories of Adam and Eve, with the serpent playing a tempting and misleading role. This may suggest that the singer feels that they have been deceived or tempted, leveraging the Biblical essence of snakes.
Line by Line Meaning
Too dangerous to keep
This person or thing is too dangerous to hold onto.
Too feeble to let go
Despite the danger, something is holding them back from letting go.
And you want to bite the hand
The dangerous thing wants to hurt the person who is holding onto it.
Should've stopped this long ago
The person should have let go a long time ago.
Go now, you've been set free
The person is finally letting go of the dangerous thing.
Another month or so you'll be gorging on me
The dangerous thing will come back to harm the person in the future.
With your lovely smile
The dangerous thing's charm and beauty is what has kept it around for so long.
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
The dangerous thing is moving away like a snake, with its characteristic markings and movements.
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
The dangerous thing exhibits snake-like characteristics such as a flickering tongue and rattling scales.
Like a real reptile
The dangerous thing acts and moves like a true reptile.
Had you coiled around my arm
The person was once intimately involved with the dangerous thing.
How could you ever know
The dangerous thing could not have known how much the person loved it.
How I loved your diamond eyes
The person loved the beauty of the dangerous thing's eyes.
But that was long ago
The person no longer feels that way about the dangerous thing.
And I should've believed Eve
The person wishes they had listened to their instincts earlier.
She said we had to blow
Eve advised the person to let go of the dangerous thing at an earlier time.
She was the apple of my eye
The person loved and trusted Eve.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: George Miller, Ian Mathie, Jim Gallcher, Stephen Church
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jerrybickes7957
For everybody who likes to sing along.
Too dangerous to keep
Too feeble to let go
And you want to bite the hand
Shoulda stopped this long ago
Go now, you've been set free
Another month or so you'll be gorging on me
With your lovely smile
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
Like a real reptile
Had you coiled around my arm
How could you ever know
How I loved your diamond eyes
But that was long ago
Go now, you've been set free
Another month or so you'll be poisoning me
With your lovely smile
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
Like a real reptile
And I should have believed Eve
She said we had to blow
She was the apple of my eye
It wasn't long ago
Go now, you've been set free
Another month or so you'll be poisoning me
With your lovely smile
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
Like a real reptile
Go now, you've been set free
Another month or so you'll be poisoning me
With your lovely smile
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
Like a real reptile
@looloo6322
1989 sitting on the floor of my apartment in NYC with some girl I just met. Playing this song on my stereo trying to impress her with my stereo and taste in music. 32 years later still together married 31 years , two kids all grown up. Here I am still listening to The Church.
@dummskelly1758
this is so heartwarming i wish ur whole family the best❤️
@aliciaschafler8442
I Love your Love story❤God Bless You and your family.
@framodcole
So, did she go team PETER or Team MWP?
@brihamlin1
Great story, nice to hear you married her.
@NoJoshinJoshy
It's just Kirby now but they sound so amazing still in 2022
@seventhfirestephanie8740
The Church is truly a universal band. Goths, Metalheads, Alternative fans and everybody else in between loves them. That's a mark of good music.
@nymike06
I totally agree!
@royfrench-qz8zo
u r right. this group cuts across all musical genres!
@ellenajarian6648
I’m a 17 year old girl. Just discovered this song and it’s been on repeat ever since