Cook's West Virginia-born mother played guitar and mandolin and sang on local radio shows. Her father, a Georgia native, also performed country music and served jail time for running moonshine. Upon his release, he and Elizabeth's mother played in local bands together, eventually marrying. Elizabeth, born in 1972, moved to Nashville in her twenties and quickly got a publishing deal. Demos recorded between 1997 and 2000 comprised her independently released debut album, "The Blue Album", which showcased her formidable songwriting ability and featured such well-known Music City musicians as Tim Carroll, Kenny Vaughan, and Rick Schell.
She made her major label debut in 2002 with "Hey Y'All". But following a corporate re-structuring that left the album virtually abandoned and stagnant on sales, Elizabeth fought back with her 2005 independent release "This Side Of The Moon", which received positive reviews.
Her album "Balls" was released May 2007. It was been her most successful album to date, thanks to glowing press reviews and significant video play for the song "Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman."
Her 2010 album Welder features appearances by an all-star roster of guests including Dwight Yoakam, Crowell and Buddy Miller, and continued her increasing popularity becoming her highest charting album in the U.S.
Her album "Gospel Plow" was released June 2012.
Cook hosts the morning radio show "Elizabeth Cook's Apron Strings" on the Sirius XM radio station Outlaw Country on Channel 60. The show airs weekdays from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM (Eastern Time). The show format is a mix of Americana, Outlaw, and Alt Country.
In 2016, Cook released her sixth studio album Exodus of Venus.
Official Site
Snake In The Bed
Elizabeth Cook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a snake in the bed, a snake in the bed
I dumped out my purse and there's a snake in the bed
It's little and it wiggles, got a shiny black head
My pocketbook was sittin by the slidin glass door
The one I thought didn't work no more
I set it side me on the pull-out couch
The one I'd been sleepin on to get the bugs out
And Big Mama Thornton was singing along
With pretty young Elvis and the old hound dog
Heaven turned to big deceit when something slithered down my leg
And between my feet
I can't imagine what the fuss is about
You'd think he'd have chosen a different route
I can't shut up the words in my mouth
They started up north and they're heading down south
The boy from next door came runnin up
He was sicker than me so the problem was
We balled up the sheet snake and everything
Kicked out the door and gave it a fling
The lyrics of Elizabeth Cook's song Snake In The Bed depict the chaos that ensues when the singer discovers a snake in her bed after dumping out her purse. The singer expresses her horror and disbelief at the situation, describing the snake as small and wiggly with a shiny black head. She reflects on how the snake could have possibly gotten into her bed, recounting how she had kept her pocketbook by the sliding glass door but had thought it wasn't working anymore. She had also been sleeping on a pull-out couch to get rid of bugs. The song takes a humorous turn as the singer imagines the snake's motivations for choosing her bed, and she can't help but vocalize her discomfort and disgust. Eventually, the singer and the boy from next door team up to dispose of the sheet snake, and they kick it out the door and watch it fly away.
The lyrics of Snake In The Bed are filled with metaphorical and symbolic references that can be interpreted in a number of ways. The snake itself may be symbolic of temptation, danger, or deceit. The fact that the snake is in the bed may represent a betrayal by someone close to the singer or a sense of vulnerability and violation. Additionally, the insects and bugs mentioned in the song add to the unsettling and uncomfortable atmosphere. The singer's humorous anecdotes and playful tone help to make the song feel lighter, but the underlying themes of danger and uncertainty add a layer of complexity.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a snake in the bed, a snake in the bed
I found a snake in my bed
I dumped out my purse and there's a snake in the bed
I emptied my purse and realized that the snake was inside
It's little and it wiggles, got a shiny black head
The snake was small and had a shiny black head
Couldn't be worse there's a snake in the bed
Finding a snake in my bed is really bad
My pocketbook was sittin by the slidin glass door
I left my purse near the sliding glass door
The one I thought didn't work no more
I thought the sliding glass door was broken
I set it side me on the pull-out couch
I placed it beside me on the pull-out couch
The one I'd been sleepin on to get the bugs out
I had been sleeping on the pull-out couch to avoid the bugs in my bed
And Big Mama Thornton was singing along
I was listening to Big Mama Thornton's music at the time
With pretty young Elvis and the old hound dog
I was also listening to Elvis and an old hound dog
Heaven turned to big deceit when something slithered down my leg
Suddenly, something slithered down my leg, which was terrifying
And between my feet
The snake had made its way between my feet
I can't imagine what the fuss is about
The snake didn't seem like a big deal to me
You'd think he'd have chosen a different route
I wondered why the snake chose to crawl into my bed
I can't shut up the words in my mouth
I couldn't stop talking about the snake
They started up north and they're heading down south
My words started as a whisper and gradually became louder
The boy from next door came runnin up
The neighbor boy came over to help
He was sicker than me so the problem was
The boy was surprised and scared, just like me
We balled up the sheet snake and everything
We gathered the sheet and the snake and balled them up
Kicked out the door and gave it a fling
We kicked the ball of sheet and snake out the door
Contributed by Brayden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.