Lyr ADD: The worms crawl in.../Hearse Song

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,Earth Mother
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 05:21 PM

Back to the "Funeral March of the Marionette"; that's the Alfred Hitchcock theme, but the version I know of "the worms crawl in" is slightly different.

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 16 Nov 00 - 07:02 AM

The worms crawl in and the worms crawl out,

Oo-oo-oo-oo,ah-ah-ah-ah,

They go in thin and they come out stout,

Oo-oo-oo-oo, Ah-ah-ah-ah,etc

It's coming back to me slowly. Tune: CDED,CDED,CDED,CDED -very original and complicated! Lots of eye-rolling essential to the correct performance of this song, preferably also done at twilight, with torches or candles under the chin!

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Gary T
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 12:07 PM

Amergin--I seem to recall a version that goes "The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, they do right dress and turn about" or some such--it sounded like it was describing military parade maneuvers. With these lyrics, I could see this being an Army song.

I did a very quick search on Google, and came up with a half dozen or more variants, but not the particular one I thought I remembered. Now you've got me curious. Let us know if you find more info on this.

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: SINSULL
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 08:33 AM

The version my brothers taught me:
The worms crawl in; The worms crawl out
In your stomach and out your mouth
They even play ping pong on your nose
Your stomach turns a pus-y green
And makes delicious whipping cream...

This seems an appropriate place to add:
A few months back on an unknown thread I mentioned a book about Hephaestus beetles - like fireflies except their light starts fires. A few suggested I was hallucinating and suggested I share my stash. To those non-believers: The above book, "The Hephaestus Plague" is for sale on Ebay and highly recommended to addicts of trashy sci-fi, horror, and the like. I stand vindicated. Now back to the worms.

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 06:04 AM

The long long worm one was: I'll post it when I've time!

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Amergin
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 01:12 AM

I seem to remember reading somewhere that this was a World War 1 trench song or something of the like....Anyone have any background on this?

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Gary T
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 10:52 PM

Awful? That was a GREAT song! Too bad that singing it today would likely result in charges being filed.

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,Earth Mother
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 08:22 PM

Thanks, folks, this has really been fun...we used to sing some AWFUL songs (My eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school)that would be forbidden in these time!

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 07:48 PM

I have dim recollections of singing something like this at Guide camp - every line was followed by - Oo-oo-oo-oo Aa-aa-aa-aa- and the song finished with a very loud "Gotcha!" (and probably a few screams from the youngest ones who hadn't heard it before! Sorry I can't remember more. There's also the less gory one "There's a long long worm acrawling along the roof of my tent" Tattie B

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: mousethief
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 06:28 PM

Good websites for this sort of stuff:

Camp Songs

YMCA campfire songs

macscouter.com

usscouts.org

ScoutSongs.com

Isn't it fun corrupting young minds?!

Alex
O..O
=o=

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 06:16 PM

There are two versions called "The Hearse Song" in Carl Sandburgh's "The American Songbag", 1927, which is now available as a reprint.

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,Urthmothr
Date: 12 Nov 00 - 11:43 PM

Harold, that sounds right. I'll try to find a sound bite.

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: zander (inactive)
Date: 12 Nov 00 - 05:03 AM

The Pogues do a good recorded version if anyone is interested. Dave

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Gary T
Date: 12 Nov 00 - 03:11 AM

The tune I know to this is similar to, but not the same as, Alfred Hitchcock's theme. Am I correct in believing these are two different melodies?

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Harold W
Date: 11 Nov 00 - 11:09 PM

The theme for which you are thinking about is called "Funeral March of a Marionette" written by Charles Gounod.

Subject: Lyr Add: HEARSE SONG (...worms crawl in...)
From: GUEST,Earth Mother
Date: 11 Nov 00 - 08:29 PM

What is the name of the tune? (It's the theme from Alfred Hitchcock Presents, but that led to a DEAD end!) A true folk song, I remember the lyrics this way:

Did you ever see a hearse go by,
and think that you were the next to die?
They wrap you up in a clean white sheet
and lower you down about six feet deep,
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
the worms play pinocle on your snout,
They eat your eyes, they eat your nose,
they eat the goo between your toes,
You stomach turns to slimy green,
and pus pours out like pure whipped cream,
You sop it up on a piece of bread,
and that's what you eat when you're dead!

Earth Mother

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From:
Date: 06 Dec 97 - 04:33 PM

I believe that this was discussed on the thread Halloween Songs, where several variations were posted. I've always liked the Pogues version, which ends "Be merry, my friends, be merry!" like it was a drinking song.

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Dec 97 - 03:00 PM

Of course, if you look just under the word "worms" (no need for quotes or brackets), you'll find enough gross songs to keep a pack of Cubs busy for a whole evening. Sometimes, broader searches bring up unexpected treasures. There are lots of great songs to be found here. Try a category search like @kids and see what you find.
-Joe Offer, retired Cubmaster-

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 05 Dec 97 - 01:02 PM

Thanx Jon. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Jon W.
Date: 05 Dec 97 - 11:13 AM

Of course you should always check the database first. There's a very thorough version there which I retrieved by entering [worms crawl] (the brackets are necessary) in the search box at the top of the page.

Subject: RE: The worms crawl in...
From: Jon W.
Date: 05 Dec 97 - 11:09 AM

This has been mentioned several times in this forum recently. Click on "Forum Search", enter "worms crawl" in the body search box, and see what happens.

Subject: The worms crawl in...
From:
Date: 05 Dec 97 - 10:06 AM

Does anybody know all the lyrics to "The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, the worms play pinochle on your snout? I've got a bunch of cub scouts that DESPERATELY need to know! 8-) Please help! Thanks, Ed [e-mail]