Hearse Song (The Worms Crawl In) - W. Michael Lewis

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Description

For Halloween, an instrumental version of "The Hearse Song (The Worms Crawl In) performed by W. Michael Lewis.

"The Hearse Song" is a song about burial and human decomposition, of
unknown origin. It was popular as a World War I song (1914-1918),
where it was sung by both American and British soldiers. It generally
features the line "The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out" and
thus is also known as "The Worms Crawl In". "The Hearse Song" was
also popular in the 20th century as an American and British children's
song, continuing to the present.



It has many variant titles, lyrics and melodies. Generally, the song re-
counts the viewing of a hearse, prompting the thought of death. The
subject's body is buried in a casket and assaulted by worms as it decom
poses.

The earliest version of the verse is found in a poem by the English
writer Matthew Lewis, incorporated in his popular 1796 Gothic novel
"The Monk", which includes the lines "The worms they crept in, and the
worms they crept out and sported his eyes and his temples about".

There are reports of the song actually dating back to British soldiers
in the Crimean War (1853–1856).

"The Hearse Song (The Worms Crawl In)"
(Traditional) Trail O The Snail Music (BMI)
Performed by W. Michael Lewis

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