Serpent in my Sun

I've been playing lots of music recently and revisiting some of my old songs. This one has always been a favourite as it's the only song I wrote about my father. Previously I've written lots on my blog about my difficult relationship with my mother, but never mentioned my father, who left when I was fourteen.

I didn't realise how angry I felt with him until I wrote this song twenty years later. When I've played it in the past some people have asked me if it's about abuse, but this was never on my mind. Rather it's about being abandoned by the person you love most of all in the world, the person you think will always be there for you, and coping with the subsequent feelings of betrayal.

So here's the song with the lyrics, see what you think:

SERPENT IN MY SUN

My father he was a friend of mine

He said daughter I love you a lot

You’ve got a lot to see and a lot to learn

I’m gonna give you everything that I’ve got

I’m gonna give you the moon and I’ll tell you soon

I’m gonna bring all the mountains to you

But the mist came down on the mountain

And it broke the circle in two

Refrain

I don’t want your serpent in my sun

So I went over to Alaska

Just to try and find something new

And the seeds were sown and the horn was blown

And the climate of the land was fresh as dew

The seasons flew and the seedlings grew

And the steps in the snow were all gone

But a woman needs a friend indeed

Not a serpent in her sun

They tell me life is a jewel

That we swim in a sapphire sea

And it’s not that hard to believe them

For I always was a child of fantasy

And the gypsy says there’ll be a day

When along will come something or someone

Who won’t stand between you and the morning

Won’t be a serpent in your sun

My father he was a friend of mine

He said daughter I like you a lot

© Jean Moss 2013