Lyr Req: a worm song

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: and e
Date: 05 Jan 24 - 08:40 PM

"Nobody loves me and I don't love nobody and I'm goin' out
in the back garden to eat worms." This is the modern fashion
of definition of the idea which used to be expressed as "biting
off one's nose to spite one's face." Every one knows what it is
like to feel that "nobody loves man and I don't love nobody."

March, 1904. The Smith College Monthly,Vol XI, No. 6. pg 375

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Smith_College_Monthly/rwEhAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22nobody+loves+me%22+%22eat+worms%22&pg=PA375&printsec=frontcover

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: and e
Date: 05 Jan 24 - 08:41 PM

The little maiden had a nurse of whom she
was very fond, and who supplied her with most of
her amusement. One day this nurse departed,
and her small charge didn't know what to do with
herself. She wandered about the house, upstairs
and down, into the garden and back again, and
finally hung about her mother, who was busy just
then with the baby. Receiving no attention, she
turned away, saying dejectedly: "Nobody loves
me. I guess I'l go down in the garden and eat worms. I ate free yes'day--two smoove ones and one woolly one."

1898. The Windsor Magazine. Pg 279.


https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Windsor_Magazine/7adFAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22nobody+loves+me%22+%22eat+worms%22&pg=PA279&printsec=frontcover

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 06 Jan 24 - 08:56 AM

Fascinating thread. I hope some budding folklorist is putting this and other similar threads together for a provenance history or thesis.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: and e
Date: 06 Jan 24 - 02:46 PM

The little maiden had a French nurse, of whom she
was very fond. One day the nurse departed, and her
small charge wandered about the house, upstairs and
down, into the garden and back again, and finally hung
about her mother, who was busy just then with the
baby. Receiving no attention, she turned away, saying
dejectedly: "Nobody loves me. I guess I'll go down
in the garden and eat bugs. I ate free yes'day -- two
smoove ones and one woolly one." -- Argonaut.

June 17, 1897, Life, Vol XXIX. Number 756. [Pg. 516]

See here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Life/eqFAAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22nobody+loves+me%22+copyright&pg=PA516&printsec=frontcover



There are lots of reprinted copies of this "eat bugs" version all dated from 1897.

See this search:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22nobody+loves+me%22+%22eat+bugs%22&client=firefox-b-1-d&sca_esv=596246760&biw=1536&bih=704&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_max%3A1898&tbm=bks&ei=h6uZZdOdJ5mq5NoPxcqsyAc&ved=0ahUKEwiT_dmMwcmDAxUZFVkFHUUlC3kQ4dUDCAk&uact=5&oq=%22nobody+loves+me%22+%22eat+bugs%22&gs_lp=Eg1nd3Mtd2l6LWJvb2tzIhwibm9ib2R5IGxvdmVzIG1lIiAiZWF0IGJ1Z3MiMgUQIRirAkiJPFC9KlieOnAAeACQAQCYAXOgAZUGqgEDOS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBiAYB&sclient=gws-wiz-books

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: and e
Date: 12 Dec 24 - 01:21 AM

THE NEOPHYTE SONG

They always, always pick on me
They never, never let me be;
I'm so sad and lonesome, awful sad,
It's been a long, long time since I've been glad.
Oh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I know what I'll do by and by,
I'll eat some worms and then I'll die;
And when I'm gone you wait and see
They'll all be sorry that they picked on me.

ca 1973. Theta Epsilon Omicron Iota Fraternity Pledge Manual.

See here: https://www.horntip.com/html/books_&_MSS/1970s/1973ca_theta_epsilon_omicron_iota_fraternity_pledge_manual/1973ca_theta_epsilon_omicron_iota_fraternity_pledge_manual.pdf

Subject: They Always Pick On Me [ Eat Some Worms ]
From: and e
Date: 12 Dec 24 - 01:34 AM

They Always Pick On Me
Music by Harry Von Tilzer
Words by Stanley Murphy
Published 1911 by Harry Von Tilzer Music Pub. Co.


[Verse 1]
When I was born my Pa and ma
They looked at me and said oh pshaw,
The doctor said It's a girl I think
And Pa went out and got a drink,

Then Ma said I looked just like Pa
and Pa said I took after Ma,
Aunt Jane said I looked like a quince,
And I've been a step child ever since.

[Chorus]
They always, always pick on me
They never, never let me be
I'm so very lonesome, awfully sad
It's a long time since I've been glad,

But,I know what I'll do bye and bye,
I'll eat some worms and then I'll die,
And when I'm gone you wait and see,
They'll all be sorry that they picked on me.

[Verse 2]
My Ma put me to bed and said
The Angels watched me in the bed,
They wouldn't let things frighten me,
Then the Angels started biting me;

When my Ma sends me to the store,
I lose the change then she gets sore,
I lost my cat and my bow-wow,
I think I'm losing something now.

[Repeat Chorus]

[Verse 3]
One morning just at four oclock
Somebody tried to pick our lock
I knew t'was papa sure as sin
And opened the door and let him in,

My Ma said what time is it Pa,
It's twelve oclock my Pa told Ma,
Just then the Cuckoo Cuckooed four
and Pa made me Cuckoo eight times more.

[Repeat Chorus]

1911.

Listen online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEFAuZ4kxfI

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 Dec 24 - 10:48 AM

Ooey Gooey was a worm,
and what worm was he
He crawled along the railroad track,
the train he did not see.
Ooey gooey !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: GUEST,Cujimmy
Date: 13 Dec 24 - 10:32 AM

This is from a thread in 2007, its a song Ive heard a few times over in Whitby and the North East of England.

Tony Leonard sings this song great and is the organiser of this week-ends Staithes Singaround.

Teaching Me Worm How To Swim………………Bill Newton

Dm
I was sat by the river with me rod and line
C                        Dm
Nice and comfortable feeling fine
            C                        Dm
When this bailiff feller said , what are you doin
C                   Dm
If you don't own up I'll have to run you in

            C                               Dm      Am                               Dm
I said I'm teaching me worm, how to swim,         Teaching me worm how to swim
          F                C                   Am                           Dm
He's looking fit, he's looking trim He's trained for hours down in the gym
       C                               Dm                      Am                                 Dm
The rod and line's just to steady him, I'm teaching me worm how to swim

Dm
He said the sign up there says the fishing's private
             C                            Dm
And the only conclusion that I can arrive at
          C                   Dm
Is that far from animal aquatic coaching
C                      Dm
What your doin is bloody poaching                        

Chorus
Then he said what are all these worms in a tin
Your surely not going to throw them all in
I said their skills are highly prized
Coz they do swimming what's synchronised

Chorus
Just then me worm was grabbed by a trout
And in trying to rescue I pulled the fish out
Then I shouted what are you going to do,
Your fish eat me worm, now I'm going to sue

Chorus

Dm
Now I know your Honour you judge on merit
       C                               Dm
Just like last week with me cave rescue ferret
       C               Dm
My interest is in animal coaching
       C                         Dm
You surely can't think I was poaching

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 13 Dec 24 - 11:05 AM

To the tune of "There's a Long Long Trail A-Winding"

There's a long long worm a-crawling
Across the roof of my tent
I can the bugle calling
So it's time I went
There's the cold cold water waiting
For me to have my morning dip
When I returned
I found that worm
Upon my pillow sip

That worm it kept on crawling
Throughout the heat of the day
Round and round the tent pole
And it would not go away
There's the warm warm water waiting
For me to have my evening wash
As I lay my head
Down on my pillow
That worm it went SQUISH SQUASH

DC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 18 Dec 24 - 06:55 PM

Used to sing that last song in Guide camp many moons ago, Doug!
(Think it’s “pillow SLIP” in the first verse?)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: a worm song
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 18 Dec 24 - 07:07 PM

Think it’s “pillow SLIP” in the first verse?

Yes! That's what I thought I had typed. Just a SLIP of the fingers. ;-)

DC