(by request – the viper and the history behind it were both given as background)
(Chorus):
Beware of the James River Viper.
It hails from sunny Brazil
If it weren’t for the James River Viper
We’d swim in the James River still.
The Confederate lads that moved on further south
After that old war was lost,
Committed to found a community there
In Brazil, and no matter the cost.
Beware of the James River Viper.
It hails from sunny Brazil
If it weren’t for the James River Viper
We’d swim in the James River still.
And Rebel by Rebel, the lads bit the dust
(South America gave them the pox)
And one of the men hailed from Richmond VA
And to there he was sent in a box.
Beware of the James River Viper.
It hails from sunny Brazil
If it weren’t for the James River Viper
We’d swim in the James River still.
In Hollywood Cem. the wood coffin arrived
And a crowd gathered ’round for the wake
But nobody saw, out of one wooden knot
Crawled a murderous black baby snake.
Beware of the James River Viper.
It hails from sunny Brazil
If it weren’t for the James River Viper
We’d swim in the James River still.
The python then wiggled and writhed to the banks
Of the river we fondly call “James”
Where it mated with one of the poisonous snakes,
“Copperhead” is just one of its names.
Beware of the James River Viper.
It hails from sunny Brazil
If it weren’t for the James River Viper
We’d swim in the James River still.
The resulting atrocity grew to ten feet,
And its venom the worst in the world,
But to make matters worse it will grab and constrict
When around you its coils are curled.
Beware of the James River Viper.
It hails from sunny Brazil
If it weren’t for the James River Viper
We’d swim in the James River still.
So don’t think a century’s quite long enough
For the viper to’ve eaten its fill,
And if that were so, it would kill us for sport,
That terrible snake from Brazil.
Beware of the James River Viper.
It hails from sunny Brazil
If it weren’t for the James River Viper
We’d swim in the James River still.
Poetry Is About Feelings 