Centipede
Rebbie Jackson Lyrics

Centipede
The title of the song and a metaphor for the passionate, intense nature of the love described in the lyrics

Centipede
Repetition of the title to emphasize the importance of the metaphor

Your love
The subject of the song - a passionate, intense kind of love

Is like a ragin' fire, oh
Describes the intensity and passion of the love

You're a snake that's on the loose
Compares the lover to a snake, suggesting that their love is powerful and potentially dangerous or unpredictable

The strike is your desire
Suggests that the lover is willing to take action to pursue their desire for the other person

But when the centipede is hot
Refers back to the metaphor of the centipede, suggesting that when passion and desire are high, intense emotions and actions are likely to follow

You're bound to feel the fire, huh
Reinforces that idea that intense emotions are likely when the centipede is hot

And when the centipede is hot
Repetition of the previous line to emphasize the point

You're bound to feel the fire
Repetition of the previous line to further emphasize the idea that passion and desire lead to intense emotions and actions

I feel, oh, yeah
The singer's personal confession that they feel the same passion and desire as the subject of the song

A longin' for your touch
Describes the singer's desire to physically connect with the other person

Like you crawled into the bathroom window
An unusual and vivid metaphor for how strong the singer's desire is - they would be willing to go to extreme lengths to be with the other person

To give him all your love, ho
Further emphasis on the idea that the lover would do anything to share their intense love with the other person

Like a centipede that's hot
Reiterates the comparison between the intensity of the love and a centipede that is hot

The fire is in your touch
Associates physical touch with the passionate emotions and intensity of the love

Just like a centipede you've got
Continues to draw parallels between the subject of the song and a centipede

A lot of lovin' to touch
Suggests that the subject is full of passionate love that is just waiting to be expressed physically

Don't you know in the quiet of the night
Shifts the focus to the night time, when emotions and desires may be more intense

Is when the snake is in the crawlin'
Uses the snake metaphor again to suggest that at night, the lover's passion is more unpredictable or dangerous

And the moon starts to glow then disappear
Sets the scene of a dark, mysterious night full of potential passion and desire

When the time is really right
Implies that there are certain times or situations when the lover's passion is more likely to come to the forefront

Is when the centipede is crawlin'
Reiterates the importance of the metaphor to describe the subject's passionate, intense love

You'll be crying in the night so many tears
Suggests that the intensity of the passion can be overwhelming and even painful

And you're crawlin' like a centipede
Repetition of the metaphor to emphasize the intensity of the lover's passion

You came, oh
Refers to the lover coming to the other person, possibly to express their passion and desire physically

To strike him with your touch
Suggests that the lover is actively pursuing their desire for physical connection with the other person

To bite him with your love
Uses a different metaphor to describe the same idea - that the lover is passionately and intensely expressing their love physically

In the quiet of the night
Reiteration of the importance of the night time setting to the song

And the moon starts to glow then disappear
Repetition of a previous line to reinforce the mysterious and romantic atmosphere of the song

And you're crawlin' like a centipede
Repetition of the metaphor to emphasize the intensity of the lover's passion

Centipede
Reiteration of the title and metaphor to close the song

Centipede
Final repetition of the title to emphasize its importance to the song's meaning