Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jodie wears a hat although it hasn't rained for six days
She says a girl needs a gun these days
Hey on account of all the rattlesnakes

She looks like Eve Marie saint in on the waterfront
She reads Simone de Beauvoir in her American circumstance

She's less than sure if her heart has come to stay in San Jose
And her never-born child still haunts her
As she speeds down the freeway
As she tries her luck with the traffic police
Out of boredom more than spite
She never finds no trouble, she tries too hard
She's obvious despite herself

She looks like Eve Marie Saint in on the waterfront
She says all she needs is therapy, yeah
All you need is, love is all you need

Jodie never sleeps 'cause there are always needles in the hay
She says that a girl needs a gun these days
Hey on account of all the rattlesnakes

She looks like Eve Marie Saint in on the waterfront
As she reads Simone de Beauvoir in her American circumstance
Her heart, heart's like crazy paving
Upside down and back to front




She says "ooh, it's so hard to love
When love was your great disappointment."

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lloyd Cole's song "Rattlesnakes" paint a vivid portrait of Jodie, a complex woman with a troubled past and uncertain future. Jodie wears a hat even though it hasn't rained in six days because she believes a girl needs a gun these days, owing to the presence of rattlesnakes. This line is metaphorical, suggesting that Jodie feels she needs to be on guard against potential harm in a world that feels dangerous and unpredictable.


Despite her tough exterior, Jodie is also vulnerable and haunted by what might have been. She's unsure if her heart has truly come to rest in San Jose, and the memory of a never-born child still troubles her. Jodie seeks thrills by trying her luck with traffic police, but even this risks exposing her vulnerability. She tries too hard to appear strong and independent, but her efforts are transparent and ultimately self-defeating.


The song also touches on Jodie's intellectual pursuits, as she reads Simone de Beauvoir in her American context. The line "Her heart, heart's like crazy paving" adds another layer to the complexity of her character; Jodie's emotions are disorienting and uncertain, like a patchwork of jagged, irregular stones. The final lines, "She says 'ooh, it's so hard to love / When love was your great disappointment,'" suggest that Jodie is struggling to find a way forward, haunted by past loves that have left her wounded and mistrustful.


Line by Line Meaning

Jodie wears a hat although it hasn't rained for six days
Jodie wears a hat even though the weather hasn't called for it, potentially indicating her peculiar tendencies.


She says a girl needs a gun these days Hey on account of all the rattlesnakes
Jodie feels a sense of danger in the world and believes that one should be prepared to protect themselves from it.


She looks like Eve Marie saint in on the waterfront She reads Simone de Beauvoir in her American circumstance
Jodie has a strong sense of individuality and self-awareness, reflected in her unique appearance and choice of literature.


She's less than sure if her heart has come to stay in San Jose And her never-born child still haunts her As she speeds down the freeway
Jodie is unsure about her place in life and struggles with a deep sense of loss and grief, which she tries to escape by driving recklessly.


As she tries her luck with the traffic police Out of boredom more than spite She never finds no trouble, she tries too hard She's obvious despite herself
Jodie has a tendency to act out of boredom, rather than genuine malice, although her attention-seeking behavior can be obvious to those around her.


She says all she needs is therapy, yeah All you need is, love is all you need
Jodie recognizes her own emotional struggles and hopes that therapy can help her overcome them, while also referencing the famous Beatles song to highlight the power of love.


Jodie never sleeps 'cause there are always needles in the hay She says that a girl needs a gun these days Hey on account of all the rattlesnakes
Jodie is constantly on edge and feels the need to stay alert at all times, due to the perceived dangers in the world.


Her heart, heart's like crazy paving Upside down and back to front She says "ooh, it's so hard to love When love was your great disappointment."
Jodie's emotional state is in disarray, as she struggles to come to terms with past trauma and finds it difficult to connect with others on a deeper level because of it.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LLOYD COLE, NEIL ROBERT CLARK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Daniel Kuczynski

Here are these amazing and wonderful lyrics :

Jodie wears a hat although it hasn't rained for six days
She says a girl needs a gun these days
Hey, on account of all the rattlesnakes

She looks like Eva Marie Saint in "On the Waterfront"
She reads Simone de Beauvoir in her American circumstance

She is less than sure if her heart has come to stay in San Jose
And her neverborn child still haunts her
As she speeds down the freeway
As she tries her luck with the traffic police
Out of boredom more than spite
She never finds no trouble, she tries too hard
She's obvious despite herself

She looks like Eva Marie Saint in "On the Waterfront"
She says all she needs is therapy
Yeah, all you need is love is all you need

Jodie never sleeps because there are always needles in the hay
She says that a girl needs a gun these days
Hey, on account of all the rattlesnakes

She looks like Eva Marie Saint in "On the Waterfront"
As she reads Simone de Beauvoir in her American circumstance
Her heart... heart's like crazy paving
Upside down and back to front
She says, "Ooh, it's so hard to love
When love was your great disappointment"



All comments from YouTube:

Kate Walker

My dad was a single parent who raised me n my sister after our mum left for drugs. He used to sing to us and dance to this song round the front room. What an amazing song and lyrics. They don't make them like this anymore ❤❤❤

Brenton Thorogood

Rattle snakes this is real music,it's smooth and easy to listen to,not like alot of the shit music that is around now

ukuburu1972

Your dad is a hero! Praise men like him ❤

Kate Walker

@ukuburu1972 ❤️❤️❤️

RAZIELѮ†

for sure,nearly 60, love the memories of the time

Michael Mason

A real man

13 More Replies...

El diván de Louis Cypher

Not only this song, the whole album is sensational.

J RVR

What an amazing display of talent. This is one of those rare songs in which everything is exactly in its place. Lyrics, drums, bassline, guitar strums, string flourishes... A masterpiece of the genre.

FreeRadicals

This song brings back a lot of memories to the fantastic music that has been made in the 80s. Rattlesnakes is legendary.

Paul Maney

Certainly "Rattlesnakes" is one of the GREATEST debut records of all-time! It's the gift that's kept giving for three and a half decades!

More Comments

More Versions