Lyrics Donovan – Riki Tiki Tavi

Original Version:

Better get into what you gotta get into
Better get into it now, no slacking please
United Nations ain’t really united

Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone
Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone
Won’t be coming around for to kill your snakes no more my love
Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone

(Every)body who read the Jungle Book knows that Riki tiki tavi’s a
mongoose who kills snakes
(Well) when I was a young man I was led to believe there were organisations
to kill my snakes for me
(ie the) church ie the government ie the school
(but when I got a little older) I learned I had to kill them myself

(I said) Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone
Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone
Won’t be coming around for to kill your snakes no more my love
Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone

16 bars instrumental

People walk around they don’t know what they’re doing
They bin lost so long they don’t know what they’ve been looking for
Well, I know what I’m a looking for but I just can’t find it
I guess I gotta look inside of myself some more

oh oh oh inside of myself some more
oh oh oh inside of myself some more

Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone
Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone
Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone
Riki tiki tavi mongoose is gone

I saw you today on a number twelve
bus you were going my way
my way

Alternate Version:

Laboratory synthetic stimuli
Oh la la la la la da.
La la la la la da
La la la do do
Oh na na da

Well, better get into what you got to get into,
And you’d better get into it now, no slacking please
For United Nations ain’t really united
And the organisations ain’t really organised.

Cause your Riki tiki tavi mongoose at your door no more no more,
Riki tiki tavi mongoose at your door.
He wont be coming around for to kill your snakes no more, my love,
Oh your Riki tiki tavi mongoose at your door no more.

Everybody who saw the Jungle Book knows that
Riki tiki tavi is a mongoose who kills snakes.
But when I was a young man I was led to believe
There were organisations to kill my snakes for me,
I was told i.e. the Church, i.e. the Government, i.e. School
But as I got a little older I learned I had to kill my snakes myself.

Oh laboratory

Well, the people walking around they don’t know what they’re doing,
They bin lost so long, they don’t know what they’re looking for.
Well, I know what I’m a-looking for but I just cant find it,
Well, I gotta, I guess I gotta look inside myself some more.

Oh Riki tiki tavi mongoose at your door no more no more no more
Riki tiki tavi mongoose at your door no more
He wont be coming around for to kill your snakes no more, my love,
For your Riki tiki tavi mongoose at your door no more.

Oh no, no, no la, no, no do do do do da
Oh la la la

Well, the people walking around they’re taking their drop and they trip trip
Well, they don’t know what they’re doing to the pretty nuff assistant
Well, I’ve taken every drug there is to take and I know
That the natural high is the best high in the world.
Ah, natural high best high in the world.

Oh no no no, no more no more no more.

Laboratory synthetic stimuli
Only goes to fog up your third eye.
Laboratory synthetic stimuli
Only goes to fog up your third eye.

Oh ma

Well, natural high is the best high in the world.
Oh, natural high is the best high in the world