Robyn Hitchcock Song Catalogue

Serpent at the Gates of Wisdom        Lyrics |  Tab |  Gigs |  New Search

Author: Robyn Hitchcock

Released on 4 records:

Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians, 1994  (Cassette)  A&M Records
Spectre, 1993  (CD)  A&M Records 31454 8031 2
Respect, 1993  (CD)  A&M Records 31454 0064 2
Respect, 1993  (Cassette)  A&M Records 31454 0064 4


Lyrics:

Serpent at the gates of wisdom
Curling round a tree
WIth your eyes so dark and empty
Looking straight through me
How did you get so unwinding?
Do you know my sins?
When you're so close to the answer
Why don't you go in?

Serpent at the gates of wisdom
Who did you deceive?
She was weak, but that's no reason
For what you did to Eve
You're a fool -- you broke the stillness
She gave birth to desire
Rolling down the frozen highway
Like a burning tyre

Serpent at the gates of wisdom
Where do you belong?
Wisdom cannot be transmitted
It keeps you hanging on
Do you really serve the Devil
If it's all God's plan?
Good and evil need each other
Honey I'm your man

Serpent at the gates of wisdom
Like a purple scar
Leering at me round the dashboard
As I reach my car
I close the door, I start the engine
And I will take control
God above, and all his angels, have mercy on your soul


God above, and all her angels, have mercy on your soul  31a


No guitar tab entered.


Known to have been played live at 69 gigs:

Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians:
Toad's Place (New Haven, Connecticut US), 2/4/1992 (Concert) (may have been another song)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Park West (Chicago, Illinois US), 6/17/1992 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Coach House (San Juan Capistrano, California US), 7/10/1992 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Wadsworth Arts Centre, UCLA (Los Angeles, California US), 7/11/1992 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, California US), 7/14/1992 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: 9:30 Club (Washington, DC US), 12/28/1992 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: 9:30 Club (Washington, DC US), 12/29/1992 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: 40 Watt Club (Athens, Georgia US), 1/2/1993 (with members of REM, most likely.) (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Grande Ballroom (Washington, DC US), 1/20/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: KCRW (Santa Monica, California US), 3/22/1993 (Radio)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Warfield (San Francisco, California US), 4/28/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: La Luna (Portland, Oregon US), 4/30/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Mountain Stage (Charleston, West Virginia US), 5/12/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Toad's Place (New Haven, Connecticut US), 5/20/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Keswick Theatre (Glenside, Pennsylvania US), 5/21/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Fastlane Club (Asbury Park, New Jersey US), 5/22/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: Joiners Arms (Southampton, England UK), 8/2/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians: The Junction (Cambridge, England UK), 8/3/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Big Star Records (Adelaide, Australia), 11/1/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Club Quattro (Tokyo, Japan), 11/10/1993 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Toad's Place (New Haven, Connecticut US), 1/1/1994 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Auditorium Flog (Florence, Italy), 3/4/1994 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Ruvido Club (Bologna, Italy), 3/5/1994 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Blob House (Bergamo, Italy), 3/7/1994 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Jazz Cafe (Camden, England UK), 3/14/1994 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Ultrasound (Toronto, Canada), 5/10/1994 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: St. James Church Crypt (Clerkenwell, England UK), 7/14/1994 with Deni Bonet (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: McCabe's (Santa Monica, California US), 9/16/1994 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Bottom of the Hill (San Francisco, California US), 9/22/1994 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Yarmouth Station (Isle of Wight, England UK), 8/26/1995 (Concert)
Peter Himmelman: Belly Up Tavern (Solana Beach, California US), 9/21/1995 Robyn Hitchcock (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: McCabe's (Santa Monica, California US), 9/22/1995 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Maxwell's (Hoboken, New Jersey US), 10/4/1995 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: 12 Bar Club (London, England UK), 1/12/1996 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Salon El Carmen (Bilbao, Spain), 4/18/1996 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: 12 Bar Club (London, England UK), 5/24/1996 with Otis 'Horns' Fletcher on sax (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: 12 Bar Club (London, England UK), 8/27/1996 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: 12 Bar Club (London, England UK), 9/17/1996 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Ogden Theatre (Boulder, Colorado US), 11/2/1996 Deni Bonet (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Vogue Theater (Vancouver, Canada), 11/5/1996 Deni Bonet (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Warfield (San Francisco, California US), 11/8/1996 Deni Bonet (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: 9:30 Club (Washington, DC US), 11/13/1996 with Deni Bonet (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Flamingo's Bar & Grill (Knoxville, Tennessee US), 2/23/1997 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Point (Atlanta, Georgia US), 2/26/1997 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Iron Horse (Northampton, Massachusetts US), 3/19/1997 w/ Dear Janes (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Magic Stick (Detroit, Michigan US), 5/22/1997 Tim Keegan (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Cedar Cultural Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota US), 5/24/1997 with Tim Keegan (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Melarkey's (Sacramento, California US), 6/3/1997 Tim Keegan (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Aladdin Theater (Portland, Oregon US), 6/6/1997 Tim Keegan (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Backstage (Seattle, Washington US), 6/7/1997 Tim Keegan (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Boat Race (Cambridge, England UK), 7/17/1997 and Kimberley Rew (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: WOMAD Festival (Rivermead Leisure Center), 7/27/1997 with Tim Keegan and Ntchuks Bonga (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: The Junction (Cambridge, England UK), 8/23/1997 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Bumbershoot Festival (Seattle, Washington US), 8/30/1997 with Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, & Barret Martin (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Largo (West Hollywood, California US), 11/15/1997 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Princess Charlotte (Leicester, England UK), 12/6/1997 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Mean Fiddler (London, England UK), 4/4/1998 with Kimberley Rew & Ntshuks Bonga (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Hotel du Nord (Paris, France), 6/28/1999 with Peter Blegvad and Syd Straw (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock's ROCK ARMADA: Cactus Café (Austin, Texas US), 10/24/1999 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock's ROCK ARMADA: Soiled Dove (Denver, Colorado US), 11/13/1999 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Vecchi Magazzini Gernali (Verona, Italy), 8/16/2000 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Bommens Salonger (Gothenburg, Sweden), 12/25/2000 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Bottom Line (New York, New York US), 4/12/2002 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Park West (Chicago, Illinois US), 4/16/2002 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Amoeba Records (Hollywood, California US), 4/27/2002 (In-Store)
Robyn Hitchcock: Calgary Folk Music Festival (Calgary, Canada), 7/27/2002 Nick Lowe, Sleepy LaBeef, Lynn Miles (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Shank Hall (Milwaukee, Wisconsin US), 11/5/2004 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Largo (West Hollywood, California US), 3/9/2005 (Concert)
Robyn Hitchcock: Black Cat (Washington, D.C. US), 3/23/2005 (Concert) acoustic

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