On her way to work one morning
Down the path alongside the lake
A tender-hearted woman saw a poor half-frozen snake
His pretty colored skin had been all frosted with the dew
"Oh well," she cried, "I'll take you in and I'll take care of you"
"Take me in, oh tender woman (come on in)
Take me in, for heaven's sake (come on in)
Take me in tender woman," sighed the snake

She wrapped him up all cozy in a coverture of silk
And then laid him by the fireside with some honey and some milk
Now she hurried home from work that night, as soon as she arrived
She found that pretty snake she'd taken in had been revived
"Take me in, oh tender woman (come on in)
Take me in, for heaven's sake (come on in)
Take me in, tender woman," sighed the snake

Now she clutched him to her bosom, "You're so beautiful," she cried
"But if I hadn't brought you in, by now you might have died"
Now she stroked his pretty skin again and then kissed and held him tight
But instead of saying thanks, that snake gave her a vicious bite (oh...)
"Take me in, oh tender woman (come on in)
Take me in, for heaven's sake (come on in)
Take me in, tender woman," sighed the snake

"I saved you," cried that woman
"And you've bit me even, why?
And you know your bite is poisonous and now I'm gonna die"
"Oh shut up, silly woman," said that reptile with a grin
"You knew damn well I was a snake before you brought me in"
"Please take me in, oh tender woman (come on in)
Take me in, for heaven's sake (come on in)
Take me in tender woman," sighed the snake
Sighed the snake
"Take me in, tender woman" (come on in)
Sighed the snake, sighed the snake
"Take me in, tender woman"
Sighed the snake