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

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]

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: 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: 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: 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:
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: GUEST,guest
Date: 11 Aug 03 - 03:40 PM

Does anyone know the song, i really need to know who its by

whenever you see a funeral go by
you must remember you've got to die

moo ha ha ha

they bury you down six foot deep
and then the worms begin to creep

moo ha ha ha

the worms crawl in
the worms crawl out
they go in thin
they come out stout

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,John
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 06:53 AM

Further to Tattie Bogle's snippet "there's a long, long worm
a-crawlin' along the top of my tent - I can remember a bit more (from some 60-odd years ago.
It's a parody of, and sung to to tune of, the First World War song, "There's a long, long trail a-winding into the land of my dreams"
It begins, "There'a a long, long worm a-winding up to the top of my tent.   I can hear the bugle calling and it's time that I went..."
can't remember the middle bit, but it ends, "... and when I return, I'll find that worm - upon my pillow - squish squash."
Wonder if anyone can fill in THE ORIGINAL WORDS to the missing bits?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: Compton
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 08:14 PM

I know the song as "Where shall we be in a hundred years from now?"!
Starts......"Did you ever think, as the years roll by, That some day you will have to die"....Oh, Oh, Oh, Where shall we in a hundred years from now.
Mrs Compton remembers singing it along with Ging, gang goolie!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 02:31 AM

To the tune of "There's a long, long trail a-winding into the land of my dreams"

There's a long, long worm a-crawling
Across the roof of my tent
I can hear the bugles 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 slip

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
When I laid my head
Down on my pillow
That worm it went SQUISH SQUASH


I learnt this over 40 years ago at Scout camp

Doug C

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 11:35 PM

WOW!!!!

Great LYRICS - THANX Doug and John

There is something phenominal about the colloberative-gleaning of lyrics at this place.

These are LYRICS that should be picked-up by Dick Greenhouse and Susan for the next edition of the DT!

Well Done.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: Lyr Add: HEARSE SONG (...worms crawl in...)
From: cobber
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 11:36 PM

Back when I was a young scout in England in the fifties, I learned this song at a canp from scouts from Colchester. Again, sung to the CDED melody after each line we sang Oo-OO-OO-oo Ah- ha ha ha with the maniacal laughter rising in intensity after each line. It was a very popular part of our early repertoire with Cobbers, before we got too serious (pity!) and we actually recorded it in 1969 but never released the album. The words we used were:

As you see the hearse go by
Think you may be the next to die

They put you in a wooden box
And cover you up with a heap of rocks

All goes well for about a week
Then your coffin begins to leak

The worms go in the worms come out
They go in thin and they come out stout

Pus oozes out like thick rich cream
And your live turns a ghastly green

Your eyes fall in and your teeth fall out
Your brains come trickling down your snout (loud sniff)

The moral of this story needs no explanation
It's really much better to have a cremation

We used to have a television show in Australia hosted by a fellow called Deadly Earnest. It was all B grade horror stuff etc but was popular late at night and we recorded it because we were going to perform it on his show (we had to mime due to lack of facilities).
Unfortunately, Deadly was killed in a car crash and the whole thing folded. My kids love the song however. So do I.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 12:49 AM

Fascinating Cobber-

You have also added some lyrics that were not in the DT.

Perhaps, Dick and Susan or Joe and Pene can harvest them also

I learned it (the essence - not your exact version) from a Sommerset lad a few years after your recording.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,cadman
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 04:11 PM

I have been trying all day to remember the movie I heard this song in somewhere between 1965 and 1985. If anybody remembers please email me at [e-mail]

Subject: The worms crawl in... super!
From:
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 07:24 AM

This is great!

A friend of mine is doing a unit on worms with her 2nd graders (for ART). I told her she needed "the worms crawl in ....the Worms crawl out" song...and I found it here!

http://www.mudcat.org/midi/midifiles/wormscrawl.mid
Get those kiddes bee-bopping to this one.
Scroll down to lyrics
http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=7179
Gosh even more worms songs:
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=3436

You rock!

Judy Decker

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 12:24 PM

The worm song was in the movie "Picture Mommy Dead".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 09:48 PM

The song became known to many Aussies - after my generation - because it was used on the ABC TV Playschool.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,arbey
Date: 08 Nov 04 - 05:02 PM

The tune, as I know it, is a combination of "The Teddy Bears Picnic" and "Funeral March" by Fredrick Chopin, an odd sort of amalgamation.

"The worms go in and the worms go out" to ("If you go down in the woods today,")
"They goes in thin and comes out stout" to    (Dito)

"Where shall we be in a hundred years from now" to the first part of the funeral march.

This is repeated throughout the whole song.

Arbey

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 12:11 AM

here is a site that actually plays the music.

http://home.earthlink.net/~halloween_magenta/hearsesong.html

Subject: Lyr Add: HEARSE SONG (...worms crawl in...)
From: GUEST,Em
Date: 23 May 05 - 11:16 AM

Don't you ever laugh as the hearse goes by,
for you may be the next to die.
They wrap you up in a big white sheet
From your head down to your feet.
They put you in a big black box
And cover you up with dirt and rocks.
All goes well for about a week,
Then your coffin begins to leak.
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out.
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
They eat your eyes,they eat your nose,
They eat the jelly between your toes.
A big green worm with rolling eyes
Crawly in your stomach and out your eyes.
Your stomach turns a slimy green,
And pus pours out like whipping cream.
You spread it on a slice of bread,
And that's what you eat when you are dead.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,Nana
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 06:32 PM

For kids 9-13 (my 5 year old grandchild doesn't get to hear this from Nana just yet)

You better watch out when the ghosts come by,
Or you will surely di-i -ie.
They'll wrap you in a bloody sheet,
And bury ya about 6 ft. deep.

And all goes well for 'bout a week,
And then your casket begins to leak,
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play poker on your scalp

Your stomach turns a slimy green
And pus pours out like pure whipped cream
You soak it up with a piece of bread
And that's what you eat when you are dead.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: Jack Campin
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 07:45 PM

I've heard "The Worms Crawl In" sung to "Off She Goes".

Subject: Lyr Add: HEARSE SONG (...worms crawl in...)
From: GUEST,Bill the sound
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 09:09 PM

The vertion I heard many years ago-

If ever you see a hearse pass by
Remember that some day you are bound to die

Ho Ho Ha Ha Hee Hee Hee Hee
How happy we will be

They wrap you up in a wooden shirt
Cover you over with lumps of dirt

Ho Ho etc

The worms crawl in the worms crawl out
They crawl in thin and they crawl out stout

Ho Ho etc

Your eyes fall in your teeth fall out
your brains come trickling down you snout

Ho Ho etc

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,Jim Carroll
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 03:03 AM

Same as above with variations:
They wrap you up in a lily-white sheet,
And tuck in the corners nice and neat.

Yo ho, yo ho, yo ho, yo ho,
Where will you be in a hundred years from now?

Sung to the tune of The Death March (Wagner?)

Why are kids such sadistic b*******?

Poor little sparra,
Poor little fing,
No Fevvers on its 'ead,
No fevvers on its wing,
Can't fly, can't sing,
Cut its bleedin' 'ed orf.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: Joybell
Date: 30 Sep 07 - 03:07 AM

Compare this line with:

...The worms they crept in and the worms they crept out
   And sported his eyes and his temples about
   While the spectre addressed Imogene....

From "Alonzo the Brave and the fair Imogine" as sung by Sam Cowell in the mid-19th Century. It was a poem written by Matthew Gregory Lewis around 1790.
I like to sing it but it's hard to find anyone willing to sit still long enough these days.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 10:50 PM

You can read the poem ALONZO THE BRAVE AND FAIR IMOGINE in "Tales of Wonder," by M[atthew] G[regory] Lewis, 1801, which can be viewed with Google Book Search. Looks like a great Halloween recitation!

Here's another quote in a similar vein, so to speak:

ONE IN A GRAVE.

ONE in a grave!—oh! I would not be
Alone in that dwelling of mystery,
Where the worms crawl in, and the worms crawl out,
And hold on the body their revel rout….

[from Musings in Many Moods by John Bolton Rogerson, 1859.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,Strad
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 05:36 AM

Last verse:-
The small boy to the old man said:
Will I be like that when I am dead?
YESSSSSSS!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: Joybell
Date: 05 Oct 07 - 01:23 AM

The tune for "Alonzo the Brave and the Fair Imogene" is the one used for "Young Collins" without the modal change. Just in case anyone should need to know.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,Dawn
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 08:20 PM

There's a long long worm a crawling across the roof of my tent
The Quartermaster's calling and it's time I went
There's the cold cold water waiting for me to take my morning dip
And when I return I'll find that worm upon my pillow slip.

There's a caterpillar crawling around the rim of my plate
The Quartermaster's calling 'You'll leave nothing on that plate,
So I ate that caterpillar with a heart full of glee
I ate him for my dinner, so I can't have him for tea.

And that worm he went on crawling all through the heat of the day
And he went on crawling, crawling, and he would not stay
There's the warm, warm water waiting, for me to take my evening wash
And when I return I'll find that worm upon my bed squish squash.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,ex-Guider
Date: 28 May 08 - 05:02 PM

Bonita Glen Girl Guide camp (Ontario), Summer 1958:

There's a long, long worm a-winding upon the roof of my tent,
And the morning whistle tells me that it's time I went.
There's a cold, cold lake [Lake Simcoe--you bet!] awaiting for me to take my morning dip--
When I return, I'll squash that worm, upon my pillow slip!
* * *
These lyrics were fun to us, as girls (11-17) because of three contrasts: that between the poignant nostalgia of the tune and subject matter of the parody, especially the resoundingly-sung ending; and that between the sweet, niceness or finickiness (at least, about worms) generally expected of girls (back then) and a Girl Guide's decision to despatch the unwelcome worm (a decision only held up by the whistle's summons to the morning dip, and maybe chores and breakfast); and that between (again) supposed delicacy of girls versus annihilating the offending worm ON ONE'S PILLOW SLIP (where one lays one's head, yuck!). (On the other hand, by the time the Guide got through opening ceremonies, breakfast, chores, and dip--she could probably count on any worm having taken its sunbathing to a more hospitable environment!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST,JP
Date: 18 Oct 08 - 08:38 PM

Don't you laugh when we go by or you will be the next to die.
We'll wrap you up in a big white sheet and drop you down about 6 feet deep.
It will be okay the very first week, but then your coffin starts to leak.
The worms crawl in the worms crawl out, the worms play pinocle in your snout.
Your belly turns to a slimy green and bubbles up like vanilla ice cream.
You put it between two slices of bread

AND that's what you eat when you're DEAD.

Subject: Lyr Add: HEARSE SONG (...worms crawl in...)
From: GUEST,audawee
Date: 26 Oct 08 - 04:30 PM

This is what I learned as a child:

You best not laugh when the hearse goes by
for you may be the next to die
they'll wrap you up in bloody sheets
and then they bury you bout 6ft.
things go swell for about a week
and then your casket begins to leak
the worms crawl in the worms crawl out
the worms play pinochle on your snout
(SPEAKING)
YOUR EYES THEY TURN A GHASTLY GREEN
AND PUS COMES OUT LIKE WHIPPING CREAM
(sing again)
and I forgot my spoon but I got a straw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jul 09 - 06:31 AM

We sang -

Where shall we be in a hundred years from now?

Well, first of all you have to die,
And ten as stiff as a board you lie, ooooooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from now?

They put you in a cardboard box,
And bury you six feet under the rocks, oooooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from now?

The worms go in, the worms go out,
They go in thin, they come out stout! ooooooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from now?

Your eyes fall in, your teeth fall out,
Your brain comes trick-e-ling through your snout! ooooo
That where we'll be in a hundred years from now!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The worms crawl in...
From: autoharper
Date: 22 Jul 09 - 06:57 AM

My father, born in Brooklyn in 1928, sang:

The worms crawl in
The worms crawl out
They all play pinochle
On your snout

-Adam Miller