The song this parody is based on, “The Snake” is a song written and first recorded by civil-rights activist Oscar Brown in 1963, which became a hit single by American singer Al Wilson in 1968. Trump took to reading the poem at his rallies, so this parody was written as a more accurate version that connects Trump to the main character of the story, since he seems to love it so much.
Executive Producers Don Caron, Jerry Pender, Sally Headley
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LYRICS to THE SNAKE
by Greg Trafidlo
On their way down to the polling booth, their future now at stake,
Some unassuming voters saw a strange, uncanny snake
With orange skin and that yellow hair the likes they never knew.
“Oh wow!” they cried, “We need to have a leader just like you!”
Take me in, oh trusting voters (yes, come on in)
Take me in, for heaven’s sake (yes, come on in)
Take me in, you’re my people,” cried the snake
They praised him and ensconced him in a house upon the Hill
And did his bidding and admired his “iron will”
They found their fearless leader and they loved his talk so tough.
Emboldened by his manner, they just couldn’t get enough
Take me in, oh trusting voters (yes, come on in)
Take me in, for heaven’s sake (yes, come on in)
Take me in, you’re my people,” cried the snake
They clutched him to their bosoms, “You’re so beautiful,” they cried.
“If you had not been elected, by now we might have died”
They praised him and anointed him the Savior of The Right.
And oh, that snake recoiled and gave them each a vicious bite.
Take me in, oh trusting voters (yes, come on in)
Take me in, for heaven’s sake (yes, come on in)
Take me in, you’re my people,” cried the snake
“You deceived us,” cried the people, “And you mocked us, tell us why.”
“You only cared about yourself and you hung us out to dry.”
“Oh, shut up, you simple rabble,” said that reptile with a grin.
“I never cared about you even before you brought me in!”
Take me in, oh trusting voters (yes, come on in)
Take me in, for heaven’s sake (yes, come on in)
Take me in, you’re my people,” cried the snake
ABOUT THE ORIGINAL SONG
“The Snake” is a song written and first recorded by civil-rights activist Oscar Brown in 1963, which became a hit single by American singer Al Wilson in 1968.
In the US, the hit version of “The Snake” was released in 1968, on Johnny Rivers’ Soul City Records. (Rivers had released his own version of the song on his 1966 album – And I Know You Wanna Dance). Wilson’s single made the Top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968, and due to exposure on the UK Northern Soul scene made the UK Singles Chart in August 1975 when reissued, reaching number 41 in September.
The success of “The Snake” on the northern soul nightclub circuit has led to it being ranked 4 of 500 top northern soul singles and for it to appear on over 30 pop and northern soul compilation albums. The song was re-released in 1989 as a B-side to a re-release of “Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely” by The Main Ingredient. Wilson’s recording of “The Snake” was also featured in a Lambrini television advertisement in the UK.
The song gained renewed attention during the campaign for the 2016 United States Presidential election. Republican candidate Donald Trump read its lyrics at several campaign rallies to illustrate his position on illegal immigration, claiming that the decision to allow people claiming refugee status to enter the United States would “come back to bite us”, as happened to the woman who took in the snake in the song. Two of Brown’s seven children asked Trump to stop using their late father’s song, telling the media: “He’s perversely using ‘The Snake’ to demonize immigrants” and that Brown “never had anything against immigrants.” Despite a cease and desist letter, President Trump continued reciting the lyrics at rallies until at least November 2020.