Beach Boys - Do You Like Worms?

Artist: Beach Boys

Song: Do You Like Worms?

Album: Smile ???

Recorded October 18th, 1966
October 21st, 1966
December 21st, 1966

This song, also known as "Roll Plymouth Rock," "Do You Dig Worms?," or simply "Worms," is a mostly uncompleted Beach Boys song originally composed and intended for the ill-fated SMiLE project. The original raw recording (as heard in the Beach Boys compilation box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys) was a mix of the lead vocals and instrumental track (recorded October 18, 1967) and the background vocals (recorded the following December of that year). The 2004 arrangement adds new lyrics written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks.

In its original version, the song is in the form ABABCB'. The A sections feature a short instrumental section where the melody is carried by the timpani, then the lyrics "Rock, rock, roll, Plymouth Rock roll over" in two part harmony over the bass guitars. The B sections consist of the "Bicycle Rider" theme played on harpsichord. At the end of the song, the B' section, the harpsichord breaks down, only to start up again. The C section has Brian singing fake Hawaiian lyrics over backing vocals by the rest of the band and a sparse backing track.

The instrumental track for the A and C sections of the song were recorded on October 18, 1966 at Western Studios. Brian also recorded some of his vocals at that session.The Beach Boys vocals were recorded at Columbia Studios, on December 21, 1966. The B sections of the song were recorded during sessions for "Heroes and Villains".

'Do You Like Worms?' is one of the most interesting songs from the original SMiLE sessions. The song never had words written for it, besides 'rock, rock, roll, plymouth rock roll over'. The harpsichord bits on this track soon became the music of the chorus of 'Heroes and Villains'. Brian said the bits of this track represented certain songs on SMiLE. He also said it was amazing because "when you're stoned, 30 seconds of music seems like 2 hours of music."

Rock, rock and roll
Plymouth rock, roll over
Rock, rock and roll
Plymouth rock, roll over

Bicycle rider, see see what you've done,
To the church of the american indian ...

Rock, rock and roll
Plymouth rock, roll over
Rock, rock and roll
Plymouth rock, roll over

Wa halla loo lay
Wa halla loo lah
Keeny wok a poo lah
Wa halla loo lay
Wa halla loo lah
Keeny wok a poo lah
Wa halla loo lay
Wa halla loo lah
Keeny wok a poo lah
Wa halla loo lay
Wa halla loo lah
Keeny wok a poo lah