Spiders & Snakes (song)

"Spiders & Snakes" redirects here. For the band by the same name, see Spiders & Snakes (band).
"Spiders & Snakes"
Single by Jim Stafford
B-side "Undecided"
Released November 1973
Format 7"
Recorded 1973
Label MGM Records
Writer(s) Jim Stafford, David Bellamy
Producer(s) Roland Kent LaVoie
Certification Gold
Jim Stafford singles chronology
"Swamp Witch"
(1973)
"Spiders & Snakes"
(1973)
"Wildwood Weed"
(1974)

"Spiders & Snakes" is a 1974 hit song recorded by Jim Stafford and written by Stafford and David Bellamy. The song is about a boy who, although he is shy, has a girl who likes him named Mary Lou. He makes faltering attempts to respond to her when they are alone, which finally include trying to give her a frog. She promptly protests and summarily rebuffs him. Still in school, they later develop a more mature relationship with the boy as the initiator instead of Mary Lou, but when they are once again alone she nonetheless feels the need to remind him, still nervous, that she does "not" like spiders and snakes, or any other such similar creatures, and that it takes something else to satisfy her loving desires.

"Spiders and Snakes" was one of the top hits of 1974, spending one week at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] and two weeks at number three on the Cash Box Top 100.[2] In Canada, the song reached number one.[3] The song spent five and a half months on the U.S. charts, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on March 8, 1974.[4]

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1973–74) Peak
position
Australia [5] 19
Canadian RPM Top Singles [3] 1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary [6] 9
UK [7] 14
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [1] 3
U.S. Cashbox Top 100 [2] 3
U.S. Country 66

Year-end charts

Chart (1974) Rank
Australia [8] 85
Canada [9] 29
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [10] 16
U.S. Cash Box [11] 15

References

  1. 1 2 "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1974-03-02. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
  2. 1 2 "Cash Box Top 100 3/09/74". 50.6.195.142. 1974-03-09. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
  3. 1 2 "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
  4. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 336. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  5. http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092
  6. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
  7. "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
  8. http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092
  9. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
  10. "Top 100 Hits of 1974/Top 100 Songs of 1974". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
  11. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1974". 50.6.195.142. 1974-12-28. Retrieved 2015-05-28.

External links

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