Album: Seven And The Ragged Tiger (1983)

Charted: 3 3

License This Song 

• Telegram force and ready
  I knew this was a big mistake
  There's a fine line drawing
  My senses together
  And I think it's about to break
  If I listen close I can hear them singers, oh
  
  Voices in your body coming through on the radio
  The union of the snake is on the climb
  Moving up it's gonna race it's gonna break
  Through the borderline
  
  Nightshades on a warning
  Give me strength at least give me a light
  Give me anything even sympathy
  There's a chance you could be right
  If I listen close I can hear them singers, oh
  
  Voices in your body coming through on the radio
  The union of the snake is on the climb
  Moving up it's gonna race it's gonna break
  Through the borderline
  
  The union of the snake is on the climb
  Moving up it's gonna race it's gonna break
  Through the borderline
  
  If I listen close I can hear them singers, oh
  Voices in your body coming through on the radio
  The union of the snake is on the climb
  Moving up it's gonna race it's gonna break
  Through the borderline
  
  The union of the snake is on the climb
  It's gonna race, it's gonna break, it's gonna move up
  Through the borderline
  
  The union of the snake is on the climb
  Moving up it's gonna race it's gonna break
  Through the borderline
  
  The union of the snake is on the climb
  It's gonna race, it's gonna break, it's gonna move up
  To the borderline Writer/s: ANDY TAYLOR, JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, ROGER ANDREW TAYLOR, SIMON LE BON
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 12

• Steve from The Land Of Make-believeI thought the same thing as Jeff from Boston. Back then you couldn't find lyrics everywhere, and the only lines I understood were "the union of the snake is on the climb", which I thought referred to the union of the United States getting back on it's feet after the depressing 70s.
• Ckatheman from OhioI was pretty young when this came out (11), but even at that age I was heavily into MTV and music in general. Given all the fears during that time, nuclear war, etc..., the video implied to me that the Union of the Snake was some sort of opposition force to a bad government.
• Fred from The Middle Of The Chesapeake BayMy initial association is the Greek myth of Tiesias, a man who became a woman after killing a pair of mating snakes. Tiesias lived as a woman for seven years, even marrying and having children, before killing another pair of snakes and transforming back into a man. The king and queen of the gods, Zeus and Hera, were having an argument over whether the man or the woman enjoyed sex more, and as Tiesias was the only person who had experienced sex as both a man and as a woman they asked him. He told them that sex was more pleasurable for women and, depending on which myth you read, either Hera or Zeus blinded him out of anger. However they gave him the ability to understand the singing of birds and be able to interpret the future from it.
  For me the song is about the union of man and woman not only in sex but also the coming together of the masculine and feminine that exists within, and how that union grants clarity and understanding of the self, one's partner, and the surrounding world.
• Luz D’angelo from WonderlandFrom my perspective this song is about Kundalini Rising. His lyrics are ambiguous, so my guess is he or whomever the writer was has been Awakened. It’s the coiled up snake we all have located by our sex organs which is the 1st Chakra & rises up to the 7th chakra being our crown chakra. Once this snake (energy) passes through our 3rd eye, most people go mad. It goes by many names depending on religion, culture, etc. The Caduceus staff with a snake intertwined on it with wings up top, that’s used by most medical facilities as an icon, is in reference to this as well. The chakras are equivalent to our endocrine system in a spiritual aspect.
  
  John 3:14
  And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up
• La Belle Gigi from DelanowhereWhen this album came out I was 10 or 11, and already hooked on the Go-Gos and Blondie, daydreaming of being a rocker girl too... but this was the song that cemented my preference for playing bass guitar.
• Long Island Cereal Killer from NyThinking it was about communism union to Russia and not to get caught up in the propaganda my thoughts
• Mr.sinister from EarthIt's about Humanity selling their souls for glory and fame. Signing a contract with the devil inked in Blood. The Reptilian races that manipulate mankind for their own benefit. Beware & be aware....cauuse they're EVERYWHERE!
• Just A Guy from UsThis is clearly a reference to Egyptian Mythology, the Brotherhood [union] of the Snake was about the Osiris Cult Mystery Religion underlying the stories told to the profane masses. Hungry Like The Wolf may be a later part of the story from the Osiris Cult.
• Steve from Chino HillsI wish they spent a bit more time on the lyrics and hit the chorus a few less times in the song. They could have been a bit more playful with the sexuality. It's a good song but it could have been much better.
  
• Jeff from Boston, MaI always thought "Union of the Snake" was a reference to the United States - one of the early flags used in the American Revolution featured a snake with the slogan, "Don't Tread On Me". Guess I was way off!
• Susan from Airdrie, -Isn't that snake-ist?
• Ronnie from Huddersfield, EnglandDespite what Duran Duran sing about, there isn't actually an union established that allows snakes as members.

More Songfacts:

Seven Nation ArmyThe White Stripes

Jack White titled "Seven Nation Army" after how he would mispronounce "Salvation Army" when he was little.

I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)Meat Loaf

In Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" what he won't do is a list of six items in the lyrics, including "Forget the way you feel right now" and "Be screwing around."

Rock And Roll All NiteKiss

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of Kiss wrote "Rock And Roll All Nite" as a "rallying cry for all of our fans." In later years, members of Kiss wrote songs separately.

Love BitesDef Leppard

At the end of "Love Bites" by Def Leppard, there are some vocals that are hard to understand. It was rumored that they were: "Jesus of Nazareth, Go to Hell." It is actually producer Mutt Lange saying "Yes it does, Bloody Hell," with a thick British accent.

Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex MachineJames Brown

James Brown's "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" was the first Hot 100 hit with the word "sex" in the title.

Take On Mea-ha

"Take On Me" was just a minor hit in Norway until a new version was released with the iconic video, making it a global smash.

Editor's Picks

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.

Billy Gould of Faith No MoreSongwriter Interviews

Faith No More's bassist, Billy Gould, chats to us about his two new experimental projects, The Talking Book and House of Hayduk, and also shares some stories from the FNM days.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."