"Snake Eater" (Song)

About

"Snake Eater" (Song) refers to the main theme of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, composed by Norihiko Hibino and performed by Cynthia Harrell. The track has been described as dramatic, campy and reminiscent of a James Bond theme. Online, it is widely celebrated and referenced in parodies. In particular, the song is a popular reference for when a video game character climbs a large ladder, as it recalls a memorable scene in Metal Gear Solid 3 in which Snake climbs a large ladder while the song plays.

Origin

In 2004's Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the game's title theme, performed by Cynthia Harrell and composted by Nobiko Hibino, features prominently in multiple moments from the game^[1] (shown below).

In particular, the song plays during a memorable scene where the player, as Solid Snake, climbs a long ladder (shown below). The scene would later be parodied in memes referencing the song.

Spread

In the years since the game's release, the song has become highly regarded and been widely parodied on social media. Often, the parodies feature ladders in reference to the famous ladder scene from Metal Gear Solid 3. For example, on September 24th, 2012, YouTuber Azure Crimson posted a Dark Souls parody where the Snake Eater theme plays as the player climbs a ladder (shown below, left). On March 13th, 2017, YouTuber Popato played the song over a similar ladder segment from Breath of the Wild, gaining over 44,000 views (shown below, right).

The song's lyrics have also been referenced in numerous image macros. For example, on March 12th, 2017, a Hiding From a Serial Killer parody referencing the song was posted to Imgur (shown below, left).^[2] On August 24th, Tumblr user Captainkupo^[3] posted a Distracted Boyfriend parody with the lyrics, gaining over 7,700 notes (shown below, right).

On October 6th, 2020, Kotaku^[4] wrote a positive review of the song, writing, "the song fits everything together, like the keystone at the top of an arch, making the rest of the game click."

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References