"The worms they crept in"

[Page Stephens]

Then, of course there is this version from the labor movement:

The scabs crawl in, the scabs crawl out,
The scabs crawl under and all about.

They crawl in early, they crawl in late,
They crawl in under the factory gate.


They crawl by day, they crawl by night,
They crawl because they're afraid to fight.

by Anonymous worker, 1946 Western Union picket line
(Tune: The Worms Crawl In)

Found at:

http://www.socialistaction.ca/cult-sngs.html

Page Stephens

----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 12:02 AM
Subject: Re: "The worms they crept in"


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
> Subject:      Re: "The worms they crept in"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>>  The version we sang in the 30s in NE started:
>>
>>I'll wrap you up
>>In a great big sheet
>>And drop you down
>>About fifty feet ....
>
> Here is how I recall it from the 1950's, Detroit:
>
> <<
>
> Did you ever think
> When the hearse goes by,
> That you may be
> The next to die?
>
> They wrap you up
> In a big white sheet
> And drop you down
> About fifty feet.
>
> The next two days,
> Your body decays;
> The next two weeks,
> Your gas tank leaks [this part never made any sense to me, but this is
> what
> it sounded like].
>
> The worms go in
> And the worms go out;
> The ants play pinochle
> On your snout.
>
> Your body turns
> A pale green,
> And pus comes out
> Like whipping cream.
>
> And me without my spoon!
>
> >>
>
> There were occasional slight variations.
>
> -- Doug Wilson