The Year of the Snake officially starts Wednesday, and 2025 is a good year to bring it on. Snakes are independent and resilient creatures.They take control and get things done. They also have a tendency to bring on the heebie jeebies for a good portion of the human population..

They can be evil tempters or benevolent protectors..and they have their own music. In celebration of this snake’s year to slink and shine, here are some snaky songs from different genres.

For your sunrise (or sunset) solace:

“Snakecharmer” by Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra

When my hubby and I were journalists in the Santa Fe area in the early 90s, nuevo flamenco was the rage and Ottmar Liebert led the way. He was great to hear live, and this gorgeous sexy guitar piece boomed from coffee houses everywhere. It was atmospheric, and still beautiful.

For Gen Xers and 80s music lovers:

“Union of The Snake” by Duran Duran

I really didn’t start appreciating how groundbreaking Duran Duran was until recently. Back in high school my friends were into them ad nauseum, so I got really sick of them really fast. Now, I always enjoy their theatrical vibes, where they really wanted to be romanic action movie or erotic sci heroes. This video is so cheesy in some place. I’m still not sure what was supposed to be a snake, if anything. Yet, I can’t help but miss the 80s. The song still holds up today, though.

For a little addictive blues:

“Black Snake Moan” cover by Robert Randolph

The original blues anthem was written by Blind Lemon Jefferson in 1927. It has been performed by many others though the decades, and was the basis for the title of the raw 2006 film with Samuel L. Jackson. Yes, the double entendres are intentional, and for 1927, that was pretty extreme. This cover by the exceptional talent that is Robert Randolph is party worthy any time of day.

For headbanging rock:

“Snakebite” by Alice Cooper

C’mon, you gotta have some Alice Cooper on your snake list!. He still performs with live snakes, and actually held an open audition for just the right snake to appear with him on tour back in the day. Even if you aren’t as into the animals and Cooper is, this song still moves!

For that late night freaky time:

“Slither” by Velvet Revolver

What are snaky songs without a little temptation and forbidden fruits? This Grammy winning mega hit in the early 2000s by supergroup Velvet Revolver was a late night guilty pleasure in the modern rock world. No wonder, with frontman Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots, members of the punk band Wasted Youth and Slash from, of course, Guns N’ Roses, it was hard for this one about the slithery nature of relationships to miss.

And don’t forget one every kid on the planet should learn:

“Sneaky Snake” by Tom T. Hall

My dad couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but he sang us this novelty country song all the time. Tom T. Hall was known for his sometimes melancholy and deep and sometimes humorous lyrics, and this one about a root beer stealing snake was a 70s staple for many kids in my world. I personally think the world would be a better place if all kids today dropped their smart phones and learned to lyrics to good old “Sneaky Snake.”

The snake is an interesting animal. Sometime sexy, sometimes creepy, and sometimes silly, but they are always groovy.

Hope your Year of the Snake is above all things, charming.