"The worms they crept in"

[Patty Davies]

Yes, I remember this verse.  I've wondered why sometimes the words "monkey
meat" would come to mind in some circumstances over the past years.  Well,
now my memory is refreshed.  I must have heard or sang this song a *lot*
when I was a kid :}

Patty


At 08:31 AM 9/17/04, you wrote:
>At 12:02 AM -0400 9/17/04, Douglas G. Wilson wrote:
>>>  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:
>>
>><<
>
>My recollected version from NYC, also 1950s, was similar, modulo the
>gas tank verse which I don't recall at all, but the last line
>(envoi?) i think has been smuggled into the Detroit version from the
>"Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts", where it fits the
>metrics and scansion better than it does here (see below)
>
>>
>>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.
>My recollection of G7, without a google check for alternants:
>
>Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts,
>Mutilated monkey meat,
>Dirty little birdies' feet.
>Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts,
>And me without a spoon.
>
>larry