Do You Like Worms?

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The image for this one was of a civilisation steaming on the Sandwich Isles. I used tea kettles and a bacon-and-tomato sandwich – a joke about the Sandwich Isles.
The blankets and the fishing hooks are a reference to my childhood. I used to go to church socials, where they had a game called ‘fish’ where you’d put a little fishing pole over a blanket, and there’d be someone on the other side that would hang a little toy or a gift onto that. Then you’d pull back and you’d have this treat. So, I had this as Indians selling Manhattan Island for $28 worth of beads.

Then there’s the can of worms. I took that from the lyric ‘Do you like worms’, but then, what do you do with that? You show someone enjoying a worm.
The Rhode Island Red thing is a reference to Plymouth Rock, which is a type of chicken, like a Rhode Island Red. I used that as loose poultry connection. You had Rhode Island and Plymouth Rock, then you’ve got a couple of Indians behind the rock and people smoking a pipe there. [12]

One of the lyrics written for the song was "And as we returned to the East or West Indies / We always got them confused". [13] Holmes explained more about the song in a 1997 issue of the Endless Summer Quarterly fanzine:

And then there's a piece called "Ribbon of concrete, see what you done done", which became "Bicycle rider, see what you done done". It came from the old standard "CC Rider, see what you done done". I remember it went on, "See what you done done, to the church of the American Indian..." And there was a last part on there that went something like: 'Having returned to the East or West Indies - we always got them confused...' It had to do with the white man's advancement. [13]

According to journalist Domenic Priore, the line about the "ribbon of concrete" symbolized a negative variant of the lyric "that ribbon of highway" from the American folk song "This Land Is Your Land", while the tag lyric, "mahala lu lei", refers to a Hawaiian Thanksgiving prayer. [10]

Recording

Most of "Do You Like Worms?" was recorded at one session held on October 18, 1966 at Western Studio. [14] During the tracking, Wilson struggled with getting the right sound from bassist Carol Kaye before finally instructing her to strum softer. He then said, "I knew I'd find it, if I really searched and reached out." [15] In his review of The Smile Sessions for Rolling Stone , David Fricke remarked that this exchange was the "moment in this five-CD ocean of music when you agree with its creator ... that the greatest pop album ever made is still within reach." [15]

The group overdubbed vocals onto the track on December 21 at Columbia Studio. [14] At some point, Wilson began considering the "Bicycle Rider" theme for inclusion in the structure of "Heroes and Villains". [16] Further overdubs to the "Bicycle Rider" section were recorded on January 5, 1967. The latter session was logged as "Heroes and Villains: Part 2". [14] According to historian Keith Badman, the lyrics about the "Sandwich Isles" and "ribbon of concrete" were "apparently not recorded". [17]

Aftermath and "Roll Plymouth Rock"

When the Beach Boys performed "Heroes and Villains" at their concerts in the 1970s, they incorporated the "Bicycle Rider" lyrics from "Do You Like Worms?". [18] In 1978, Bruce Johnston told biographer David Leaf that the band's manager James William Guercio had insisted on opening L.A. (Light Album) with a Smile track titled "Rock Plymouth Rock/Roll". [19]

In 2004, Wilson rerecorded "Do You Like Worms" as "Roll Plymouth Rock" for his album Brian Wilson Presents Smile . Asked about the title change, Wilson explained, "Because we wanted something a little more appropriate, you know? Something that sounded more appropriate." [20]

Personnel

Per band archivist Craig Slowinski. [14]

The Beach Boys

Guest

Session musicians

Cover versions

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References

Citations

  1. ↑ Stebbins 2011, p. 91.
  2. ↑ "Van dyke came up wit…". 19 March 2015.
  3. ↑ Williams 1997, pp. 17–23.
  4. ↑ Priore 2005, pp. 67–68.
  5. ↑ Preiss 1979, p. 60.
  6. ↑ Vosse, Michael (April 14, 1969). "Our Exagmination Round His Factification For Incamination of Work in Progress: Michael Vosse Talks About Smile". Fusion. Vol. 8.
  7. ↑ Sharp, Ken (April 2, 2013). "Al Jardine of the Beach Boys: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About "SMiLE" (Interview)". Rock Cellar Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Priore 2005, p. 65.
  9. ↑ Priore 2005, p. 66.
  10. 1 2 Priore 2005, p. 68.
  11. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 173.
  12. ↑ Priore 2005, p. 183.
  13. 1 2 Holmes, Frank (March 1997). Beard, David (ed.). Endless Summer Quarterly.{{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. 1 2 3 4 The Smile Sessions (deluxe box set booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. 1 2 Fricke, David (November 1, 2011). "The Smile Sessions Box Set". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  16. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 166.
  17. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 153.
  18. ↑ Doggett 1997, pp. 67, 70.
  19. ↑ Leaf, David (November 1978). "Pet Sounds". Pet Sounds.
  20. ↑ Ronnie (October 16, 2004). "Interview with Brian Wilson". Ear Candy Mag.
  21. ↑ "Smile -- Do You Like Worms version". Steve Hoffman Music Forums. Retrieved 2024-09-02.

Bibliography

"Do You Like Worms"
Song by the Beach Boys
from the album Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys
ReleasedJuly 29, 1993 (1993-07-29)
RecordedOctober 18, 1966 (1966-10-18) –January 5, 1967 (1967-01-05)
Studio Western and Columbia, Hollywood
Length4:00
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Brian Wilson
Licensed audio
"Do You Like Worms" on YouTube
The Smile Sessions
track listing
Other tracks
Derivative songs
Associated people
Related media
Other topics
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