Inspired by a real-life encounter with a reptile, "Reptile" is based around a prominent guitar riff. The song saw moderate commercial success as a single and has become one of the band's most famous songs.
Marty Willson-Piper, Peter Koppes, Richard Ploog, and Steve Kilbey were all credited with writing the song. In the sleevenotes for the 2010 CD reissue of Starfish, Willson-Piper described the process; "sometimes a song can be mainly one person's idea augmented by everyone else. Other times a song really is the sum of the parts working magically together. This was the case with ‘Reptile’".
Sung by Kilbey, the song features lyrics inspired by an encounter Kilbey had after going with a woman to her hotel room. Kilbey explained, "I went home with this woman one night I met in Canters Deli. I went in the bathroom ... and there was a sound behind the shower curtain. I look behind the shower curtain and there was a great big ... lizard in there, looking at me. ... And the woman goes, 'Oh, you met Bruford' or whatever his ... name was. ... I guess that had something to do with it".
Musically, the song, as Stewart Mason of AllMusic described, is based on a "nagging stop-start guitar riff that continues, almost unchanged, throughout the entire song, building a palpable tension through the verses that is only partially alleviated by Steve Kilbey's sneering chorus". Using one unchanging riff while the rest of the song moves around it was a device The Church had used in several earlier songs, such as "One Day" from 1983's Seance. Willson-Piper recalled, "I wrote the riff in a rehearsal room somewhere in Sydney; it just fell out of my guitar like a diamond".
Mason continues, "The rattling rhythm section only adds to the effect, with Richard Ploog's kinetic hi-hat work driving the beat". Kilbey said, "I think 'Reptile' did something we never quite managed to do again, and that is the way the parts all play against each other. Like the Church has always been a band where its not everything just doing the same thing at the same time. Everything's working like a machine. I think that was the best ever example of that".
Reptile
The 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
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 piece that explores the theme of a toxic relationship. The song begins by indicating that the singer knows that the relationship is too dangerous to continue and is aware that they should have ended it a long time ago. However, they are too weak to let go despite knowing that it will hurt them in the end. The lyrics suggest that the person in question is akin to a serpent, and the singer vividly describes their slithering and flickering ways. They fear that despite being aware of the person's dangerous nature, they will soon return to the same poisonous cycle all over again.
In the second verse, the singer describes how they once loved the person's diamond eyes, but that was long ago. The reference to diamond eyes could indicate a compelling or dazzling aspect of the person, which attracted them initially. However, the line, "how could you ever know" suggests that they were unable to foresee the pitfalls of the relationship. The song's third verse references Eve, who was the apple of Adam's eye, a reference to the Biblical account of the fall of man. Thus, the singer believes that they should have believed her warning and ended the toxic relationship when they could have.
Line by Line Meaning
Too dangerous to keep
This relationship is becoming too dangerous to continue.
Too feeble to let go
But I can't seem to break free even though I want to.
And you want to bite the hand
You continue to hurt me despite my attempts to keep you close.
Should've stopped this long ago
I should have ended this relationship when the warning signs first appeared.
Go now, you've been set free
It's time for you to leave and for me to finally move on.
Another month or so you'll be gorging on me
But I know it won't be long until you come back to hurt me again.
With your lovely smile
You always act charming and kind, making it hard to resist your manipulation.
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
As you depart, I realize you were never really human at all, but rather a snake in disguise.
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
All the signs were there, but I chose to ignore them until it was too late.
Like a real reptile
You were always cold-blooded, emotionless, and dangerous, just like a real reptile.
Had you coiled around my arm
When you were close to me, it was hard to resist your hypnotic gaze and alluring charm.
How could you ever know
You never understood how much I loved you, or how your actions were breaking me apart inside.
How I loved your diamond eyes
Your eyes were dazzling and captivating, but they masked the darkness inside.
But that was long ago
That love is long gone now, replaced by fear and regret.
And I should've believed Eve
Just like Eve knew the serpent was dangerous, I should have listened to my warnings about you.
She said we had to blow
She knew that we needed to end the cycle of temptation and betrayal, just like I need to end this toxic relationship now.
She was the apple of my eye
Eve was someone I trusted and loved, just like I had trusted and loved you.
Oh go now, you've been set free
I need to keep telling myself that it's time for you to leave and for me to finally move on.
Another month or so you'll poisoning me
But I know it won't be long until you come back and ruin my life once again.
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!
@sjennica
One of the most underrated songs of all time. Absolutely incredible in every way.