The Irish Snake
Words and music by Edric McKinney


    C                  F              Dm          G
St. Patrick came to Ériu's isle, a missionary man
C                    F                Dm             G
Teaching Christian doctrine to the people of the land
    C                 F                 Dm               G
He took the old traditions, ancient symbols he did bend
      C       F          C          Dm       F        G      C
And let them grace his message so that all could comprehend

     C                    F                Dm              G
It’s said that Patrick fasted on the cliffs for forty days
  C                   F                  Dm                  G
A band of serpents slithered up and joined with him to pray
C                  F                  Dm               G
With a word, he cast the island's snakes into the sea
    C      F       C           Dm        F           G          C
But if he really cast them out, then what’s the deal with me?

	         C                 F
	I'm an Irish snake, I'm real, not fake
	    Dm              G
	Surviving to this day
	         C                 F
	I'm an Irish snake, not God's mistake
	    Dm       G        C
	And I'll be here to stay

      C              F                    Dm             G
Some say the miracle was true, some claim it's metaphor
     C                   F                     Dm              G
The fossils show that snakes were never native to these shores
   C           F                        Dm                      G
It never was about the snakes, but those who don’t quite fit
    C    F         C       Dm       F      G    C
The heretics and pagans whose integrity resists

      C                 F                  Dm                G
Some sailed away to other lands, but those who didn’t go
C                     F                    Dm                     G
Hid their scales under the weight of saints' and scholars' robes
     C               F                     Dm              G
And all of us have been ourselves until the present day
    C          F            C      Dm            F      G         C
For Pat's command could never quite drive all the snakes away

	         C                 F
	I'm an Irish snake, I'm real, not fake
	    Dm              G
	Surviving to this day
	         C                 F
	I'm an Irish snake, not God's mistake
	    Dm       G        C
	And I'll be here to stay

    C                F                     Dm              G
To all the would-be modern saints with power to their name
     C               F                      Dm         G
Who persecute the small and fear their unfamiliar ways
   C              F                   Dm         G
Denying their existence, dodging claims of genocide
C         F        C          Dm        F      G           C
We were here for cent'ries and will last beyond your time

   C                    F                      Dm                G
Unveil your eyes and learn from grand traditions new and old
C                 F                     Dm                  G
Look inside yourselves and see the snakes inside your soul
C                F                 Dm                  G
Shining scales mingled with a strong and steady heart
     C           F       C        Dm           F        G         C
And don’t cast out the beauty that’s been with you from the start

	         C                 F
	I'm an Irish snake, I'm real, not fake
	    Dm              G
	Surviving to this day
	         C                 F
	I'm an Irish snake, not God's mistake
	    Dm       G        C
	And I'll be here to stay

Repeat chorus x1