I’ve been discussing the origin of the phrase “The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out”.
Yesterday, I posted the old nursery rhyme “There Was a Woman All Skin and Bone”, which contains the phrase.
Here’s another version of There Was a Woman All Skin and Bone, this one a song, (sung by me!). In this case the phrase is “The grubs crawled in, the grubs crawled out”. How and when it changed is a bit of a mystery.
MP3 of There Was a Woman All Skin and Bone
There Was a Woman All Skin and Bone
There was a woman all skin and bone
Oo-oo-oo!
Who lived in a cottage all on her own,
Oo-oo-oo!She thought she’d go to church one day
Oo-oo-oo!
To hear the parson preach and pray,
Oo-oo-oo!When she got to the wooden stile
Oo-oo-oo!
She thought she’d stay and rest a while
Oo-oo-oo!When she reached the old church door
Oo-oo-oo!
A ghastly ghost lay on the floor,
Oo-oo-oo!The grubs crawled in, the grubs crawled out,
Oo-oo-oo!
Of its ears, eyes, nose, and mouth.
Oo-oo-oo!Oh you ghastly ghost, she said,
Oo-oo-oo!
Shall I be like you when I am dead ?
YES!
If anyone out there sings it differently, and would like to send other lyrics or a different rendition, I’d be happy to post it.
Happy Halloween Everybody!
Lisa
This article was posted on Sunday, October 29th, 2006 at 5:00 pm and is filed under American Folk Songs, American Kids Songs, British Children's Songs, British Folk Songs, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, English, Folk Songs, Halloween, Halloween Songs, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Mama Lisa, Mp3 of There Was an Old Lady All Skin and Bones, MP3's, Recordings of Songs, The Hearse Song, The Worms Crawl In, The Worms Crawl Out, There Was a Women All Skin and Bones, There Was an Old Lady All Skin and Bones, United Kingdom, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
40 Responses to ““There Was a Woman All Skin and Bone” Song with MP3”
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October 29th, 2006 at 10:02 pm
That song brought back memories! My music teacher in elementary school used to do it every Halloween and we would beg her to do it over and over. She would turn the lights out, and sing, accompanied by a small harp. The words were slighty different….I don’t remember them exactly but they went something like this, with maybe a few more lines somewhere in there….
There was an old lady all skin and bone.
Oo-oo-oo-o.
She lived down by the old graveyard.
Oo-oo-oo-o.
She went to the closet to get a broom.
Oo-oo-oo-o.
She opened the closet and looked inside.
Oo-oo-oo-o.
In the closet there was a shelf.
Oo-oo-oo-o.
And on the shelf there was a box.
Oo-oo-oo-o.
She opened the box and looked inside and….
BOO!
October 30th, 2006 at 10:15 am
I sang that version out loud to me son, who’s now 12. He said he sang it in music class too a couple of years ago. He said the 1st time he heard it, the “BOO!” at the end scared/surprised him.
November 9th, 2006 at 4:23 am
Woman at the cottage gate
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
Saw the corpses staying out late
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
Woman to the corpses said
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
Will I be like that when I’m dead?
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
Corpses to the woman said
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
Yes, you’ll be like that when you’re dead
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
They wrap you in a big white sheet
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
They tuck the corners in so neat
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
The worms go in and the worms come out
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
They go in thin and they come out stout
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
Your teeth fall in and your eyes fall out
Ooo-oo-ooo, Ahh-ah-ah-ah
That is all the words I remember from guide camps. If anyone knows how it finishes, I would be glad to know
November 13th, 2006 at 3:37 pm
Has anyone the words/music for a Halloween Song made up in the 50’s or 60’s in USA (Ohio? I think).
We sang it in the 60’s at my elementary school in Canada
it went something like this (lots of parts missing):
Faces, Faces, Funny faces. You make such a funny sight
Pumpkins glowing in the night
……
… flickering in the sky
Goblins making a pumpkin pie
Cats….
devils prancing …. dancing
……
Never can you see so many funny faces
…. on Halloween night
(It was a really cute song that all the children loved)
February 10th, 2007 at 1:41 am
We used to sing “There was an old woman all skin and bones” when I was in elementary school in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was in our music class book. Our lyrics went like this…
There was an old woman all skin and bones. Oo-oo-oo-ooh.
She lived down by the old grave yard. Oo-oo-oo-ooh.
One night she decided to take a walk. Oo-oo-oo-ooh.
She saw old bones all layin’ around. Oo-oo-oo-ooh.
She went to the closet to get her broom. Oo-oo-oo-ooh.
She opened the door, and BOO! (You yell out boo!)
This has been such a fun song, and I love to sing it to little kids, and they always ask for the “Ooh Song”
July 13th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I borrowed a book from my cousin, and in it was this song, and a few others. . . They are all quite interesting, n’est pas?
OLD WOMAN ALL SKIN AND BONE
There was an old woman all skin and bone
Who lived near the graveyard all alone.
O-o o-o o-o!
She thought she’d go to church one day
To hear the parson preach and pray.
O-o o-o o-o!
And when she came to the church-house stile
She thought she’d stop and rest awhile.
O-o o-o o-o!
When she came up to the door
She thought she’d stop and rest some more.
O-o o-o o-o!
But when she turned and looked around
She saw a corpse upon the ground.
O-o o-o o-o!
From its nose down to its chin
The worms crawled out, and the worms crawled in.
O-o o-o o-o!
The woman to the preacher said,
“Shall I look like that when I am dead?”
O-o o-o o-o!
The preacher to the woman said,
“You’ll look like that when you are dead!”
(Screams)
aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaahhhhh.
THE HEARSE SONG
Don’t you ever laugh as the hearse goes by,
For you may be the next to die.
They wrap you up in a big white sheet
From your head down to your feet.
They put you in a big black box
And cover you up with dirt and rocks.
All goes well for about a week,
Then your coffin begins to leak.
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
They eat your eyes, they eat your nose,
They eat the jelly between your toes.
A big green worm with rolling eyes
Crawls in your stomach and out your eyes.
Your stomach turns a slimy green,
And pus pours out like whipping cream.
You spread it on a slice of bread,
And that’s what you eat when you are dead.
A MAN WHO LIVED IN LEEDS
There was a man who lived in Leeds;
He filled his garden full of seeds.
And when the seeds began to grow,
It was like a garden filled with snow.
But when the snow began to melt,
It was like a ship without a belt.
And when the ship began to sail,
It was like a bird without a tail.
And when the bird began to fly,
It was like an eagle in the sky.
And when the sky began to roar,
It was like a lion at my door.
(Now, drop your voice)
And when the door began to crack,
It was like a penknife in my back.
And when my back began to bleed-
(turn off lights, if any)
I was dead, dead, dead indeed!!
(cackle manically)
BA-ROOOM!
(TO THE TUNE OF “THE IRISH WASHERWOMAN”)
O’Leary is dead,
and O’Riley don’t know it.
O’Riley is dead,
and O’Leary don’t know it.
They both are dead
in the very same bed,
and neither one knows
that the other one’s dead
Ba-rooom, Ba-rooom!
That’s all I have. Email me if you have any questions.
Rochereine@aol.com
-Jacqueline
August 9th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
I learned this song when I was in second grade. Today, I
am 50. This is the song I learned and have taught my
grandchildren…
There was an old lady all skin and bones..
Ooooooooooooooooooooooh
She lived down by the old grave yard..
Ooooooooooooooooooooooh
One night she thought she’d take a walk..
Ooooooooooooooooooooooh
She walked down by the old grave yard..
Ooooooooooooooooooooooh
She saw the bones a layin around..
Ooooooooooooooooooooooh
She went to the closet to get a broom..
Ooooooooooooooooooooooh
She opened the door…..
AND BOO!
August 9th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Cool! If you’d like to record your version, I’d be happy to post a recording!
-Mama Lisa
September 21st, 2007 at 2:36 pm
We sang it like this:
There was an old women all skin and bone
ooo…..
She lived down by the old graveyard
ooo….
One night she decided to take a walk
ooo….
She walked dow by the old graveyard
ooo….
She saw the bones a lying around
ooo……
She went to her closet to get a broom
ooo…….
She opened the door, she opened the door….
She opened the door,She opened the door….
She opened the door , She opened the door….
And……
AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
(SCREAM AS LOUD AS YOU CAN)
September 27th, 2007 at 10:44 am
There was an old woman all skin and bones oh oh ah oh she walked down by the old graveyard oh oh ah oh she saw the bones a laying around oh oh ah oh she went to her closit to
get a broom oh oh ah oh she opened the closit and boo
October 8th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Every Halloween, my elementary school teachers used to play an old record. Us kids would sit around and sing to it, and this song was on there, only our version went like this:
There was an old woman all skin and bone,
Ooh, ooh! Ooh, ooh!
She needed a bone to make her stew,
Ooh, ooh! Ooh, ooh!
She walked out by the old graveyard,
Ooh, ooh! Ooh, ooh!
She saw some bones a-lyin’ around,
Ooh, ooh! Ooh, ooh!
She went to the closet to get a broom,
Ooh, ooh! Ooh, ooh!
She opened the door, and:
BOO!!! (Screamed very loudly by all the kids).
October 30th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
ii hav3 l3arn3d thiis s0ng and my liil br0th3r and siist3r siing iit wiith m3 all thr0ugh 0ct0b3r! iits a r3ally g00d s0ng! ii L0VE iiTTTT!!
October 30th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Old skin and bones she came one day to hear the preacher shout and pray OH, oh skin and bones!
November 1st, 2007 at 6:34 pm
I’d like to get in contact with Jacquie in Canada, who wrote (Nov 13, 2006) about that “Faces, Faces, Funny Faces” song. I, too, remember singing the same song as an elementary school student in California. It was actually a very well written song (made up by an elementary school class and its teacher, I think), that I hope will not be allowed to die. How can I contact Jacquie?
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
So, I LOVED this song when I was little. This is the way we used to sing it.
There was an old woman all skin and bone (ooooo)
She lived down by the old graveyard (oooo)
One night she thought she’d take a walk (oooo)
She walked down by the old graveyard (oooo)
She saw the bones all layin’ around (ooo)
She went to the closet to get a broom (oooo)
She opened the door and…..BOO!!! :)
October 8th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I would love to know who sings that song. I lost my cd and cand find it and would like to buy it again.
October 16th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Here’s a contemporary variation.
You can hear a recording at:
lo-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=6872677&q=lo
hi-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=6872677&q=hi
1
She’s a lonely old woman all skin and bone
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh,
She took a little walk about an hour ago
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh,
She’s walkin’ down by the old graveyard
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh,
That’s where the graves is bare and the stones is hard
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh,
She sees the bones a-lying around
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh,
She swears she’ll clean up the burial ground
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh,
She goes to the church to get a broom
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh,
She knocks on the door to the parson’s room
Boo
Chorus
Skin and bone
There’s a cold, cold body lying in my bed
Skin, skin and bone
I still hear your last words echo through my head
Skin and bone
There’s a cold, cold body lying in my bed
Skin and bone, we’re just skin and bone,
Is this how i’m gonna feel when I am dead
October 16th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Here’s a version of
Don’t You Laugh (When the Hearse Goes By)
lo-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5729256&q=lo
hi-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5729256&q=hi
Don’t you laugh as the hearse goes by
Or you could be the next to die.
They’ll wrap you in a great white sheet
from your head down to your feet.
And put you in a big black box
Underneath the dirt and rocks.
And all goes well for about two weeks
Then your coffin begins to leak.
The worms creep in, the worms creep out
the worms play pinochle on your snout.
A purple worm of frightening size
crawls in you ears and out your eyes
Then your stomach turns a slimish green
and pus shoots out like whipping cream
You serve it on a slice of bread
and that’s what you have to eat when your dead.
November 13th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
This is how I used to sing it!
There was a woman all skin and bone
Who lived near the graveyard all alone.
O-o o-o o-o!
She thought she’d go to church one day
To hear the parson preach and pray.
O-o o-o o-o!
And when she came to the church-house stile
She thought she’d stop and rest awhile.
O-o o-o o-o!
When she came up to the door
She thoght she’d stop and rest some more.
O-o o-o o-o!
But when she turned and looked around
She saw a corpse up on the ground.
O-o o-o o-o!
From its nose down to its chin
The worms crawled out, the worms crawled in.
O-o o-o o-o!
The woman to the preacher said,
“Shall I look like that when i’m dead?”
O-o o-o o-o!
The preacher to the woman said,
“You’ll look like that when you are dead!”
(Now scream:)
“AAAAAAAAAAAH!”
I don’t know about you, but that’s how I learned it!
November 13th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
By the way! i just noticed, right after i wrote the old skin and bones song, that it was the same as Jacqueline’s song! woops!
October 24th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
her was an old lady all skin and bones
Ooo-Ooo-Ooo-Ooo
She lived down by the old graveyard
Ooo-Ooo-Ooo-Ooo
One night sh decided to take a walk
Ooo-Ooo-Ooo-Ooo
She walked down by the old graveyard
Ooo-Ooo-Ooo-Ooo
She saw some bones on the ground
Ooo-Ooo-Ooo-Ooo
She went to the closet to get a broom…..BOO
Ooo-Ooo-Ooo-Ooo
October 24th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
[…] I’ve posted several versions of this great Halloween song in the past… It’s called There Was an Old Woman All Skin and Bones. […]
November 6th, 2009 at 9:13 am
This is the version i heard as a kid
Scared me a little back then, but i loved it,
and love it still
There was a old woman all skin and bone
Who lived in a grave yard all alone
OOooOOooOOoo
She thought she’d do to church one day to hear the parson preach and pray
OOooOOooOOoo
When she got to the church house stile
She thought she’d stop and rest a while
And when she reached the church house door
She thought she’d stop and rest some more
OOooOOooOOoo
On looking up, on looking down,
She saw a corps upon the ground
OOooOOooOOoo
from it’s nose down it’s chin,
The worms crawled out, the worms crawled in.*
OOooOOooOOoo
The woman to the parson said,
Shall i look like that wen i am dead?
OOooOOooOOoo
The parson to the woman said,
You’ll look like that wen you are dead
Aaaaaahhaaa
November 19th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Well we must have really messed with the song over here on our side of the pond. Here’s how I remember it from Primary School!
Whenever you see a hearse go by
Remember some day that you must die
ooo ooo ooo ooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from no – oow!
They put you in your big white shirt
And cover you up with tons of dirt
ooo ooo ooo ooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from no – oow!
They put you in a big black box
And cover you up with tons of rocks
ooo ooo ooo ooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from no – oow!
The worms crawl in and the worms crawl out
They crawl in thin and they come out stout!
ooo ooo ooo ooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from no – oow!
Your eyes fall in and your teeth fall out
Your brains come trickling down your snout
ooo ooo ooo ooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from no – oow!
Your hair turns into a sickly green
And runs round your ears like Devonshire cream!
ooo ooo ooo ooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from no – oow!
So! Whenever you see a hearse go by
Remember some day that you must die
ooo ooo ooo ooo
Where shall we be in a hundred years from no – oow!
November 19th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Very cool! If you’d like to record it I’d be happy to post your recording!
Cheers!
Mama Lisa
February 16th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
mine went like this…..
there was an old lady all skin and bones
ooooooo…….ooooooooo…..ooooooo….oooooo
she live right down the old graveyard ooooooo…….ooooooooo…..ooooooo….oooooo
one night she thought she’d take a walk
ooooooo…….ooooooooo…..ooooooo….oooooo
she saw the bones all laying around
ooooooo…….ooooooooo…..ooooooo….oooooo
she went to her house to get a broom
ooooooo…….ooooooooo…..ooooooo….oooooo
she opened the closet and
BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
February 24th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
ohh man this song really brought back memories of elementary school wow my old music teacher always playeed this song for holloween, its part of the reason why its my favorite holiday, but anyways just thought id share that.
July 4th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Ron Says:
November 1st, 2007 at 6:34 pm
I’d like to get in contact with Jacquie in Canada, who wrote (Nov 13, 2006) about that “Faces, Faces, Funny Faces” song. I, too, remember singing the same song as an elementary school student in California. It was actually a very well written song (made up by an elementary school class and its teacher, I think), that I hope will not be allowed to die. How can I contact Jacquie?
To reply to Ron – simply email websites that gather old songs and give them the lyrics.
Unfortunately I don’t remember them.
If you know the lyrics, please send them to me.
Thanks.
Jacquelyn.
(I believe the song was written by a music teacher in Oregon, USA.) in late 50’s early 60’s
July 8th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Hey folks. Very funny song, I am an elementary teacher in Bangkok, Thailand. I have just finished transcribing the song for the harmonica class that I teach. I did a search to find the origins of the song. I find it amazing that come from a border city in Michigan/Ontario and have never heard of this song, yet I purchase a old teachers books while in New York and I glean this gem from one of the books. Thank you to all who posted alternate lyrics. Our class hopefully will be doing this song come Halloween this year.
Holt, D.M & Thompson, K. P. Developing Competencies to Teach in the Elementary Classroom. Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company. 1980 p 34. (Cincinatti, Ohio)
October 1st, 2010 at 1:33 am
thanks for all the cool memories i remember a couple of the songs but the different versions are so neat
November 16th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
there was an old lady skinned in bones,
oo-OO-oo
she lived down by the old graveyard
oo-OO-oo
she thought she should take a walk
OO-oo-OO
she saw all of thee bones layin’ aroun’
oo-OO-oo
she went to the closet to get a broom
OO-oo-oo
she opened the closet and …….
BOO!
November 22nd, 2010 at 10:15 pm
There was a lady all skin and bone,
And such a lady was never known.
It happened on a holiday
The lady went to church to pray.
And when she came unto the stile,
She tarried there a little while,
And when she came unto the door,
She tarried there a little more.
And when she came unto the aisle,
She wore a sad and a woeful smile.
She’d come a long and a weary mile,
Her sin and sorrow to beguile.
And she walked up, and she walked down,
And spied a dead man upon the ground.
And from his nose unto his chin,
The worms crept out, and the worms crept in.
And the lady to the sexton said,
Shall I be so when I am dead?
And the sexton to the lady said,
You’ll be the same when you are dead!
October 20th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Heres one I am learning in my music class this year :D
There was an old woman all skin and bone,
OOOO-OO-oo!
she lived down by the old graveyard,
ooo-ooo-ooo!
One night she thought she’d take a walk,
Ooo-oo-ooo!
She walked down by the old graveyard,
OoooOO-oo!
She saw the bones a-layin around,
Oooo-Oooo!
She thought she’d sweep the old church house,
Oooo-Oooo!
She went to the closet to get a broom,
OOooo-Ooo!
She opened the door and BOO![
October 21st, 2011 at 11:14 pm
There was an old lady all skin and bone.
Oo-oo-ooh
She lived alive in the old graveyard.
Oo-oo-ooh
One night she thought to go for a walk.
Oo-oo-ooh
She walked around the old graveyard.
Oo-oo-ooh
She went to the closet to get a broom.
Oo-oo-ooh
She opened the door and-
BOO!
;)
November 5th, 2011 at 1:09 pm
actually i am in forth grade and my music teacher tought me it this way:there was an old woman all skin and bones-OoO-oOo-OoO she lived down by the old graveyard-OoO-oOo-OoO one night she thought she take a walk-OoO -oOo-OoO she saw some bones a-lying around-OoO-oOo-OoO she went to her closet to get a broom-OoO-oOo-OoO and when she went to her closet-OoO-oOo-OoO and out popped a ghost-OoO-oOo-OoO that was the last you saw of her-OoO-oOo-OoO
December 7th, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Never laugh at a hearse go by
Or you will be the next to die
They’ll wrap you up in a big white sheet
And bung you doen about 10 foot deep
They put you into a big black box
And cover you in dirt and rocks
It al goes well for about a week
Until the coffin starts to leak
All the worms crawl in and out
One little worm, not quite so stout
Crawls through your stomach
And out of your snout
February 7th, 2012 at 2:50 am
My family sings this song for every birthday celebration.
it goes a little differently…
There was an old woman, her name was Joan
and she was mad of skin and bones,
Waawoo waawoo
the woman went to church one day
to hear the parson preacher pray
Waawoo waawoo
and as she stepped inside the door
there lay a dead man on the floor
Waawoo waawoo
the woman to the preacher said
will i be thus when i am dead
Waawoo waawoo
the preacher to the woman said
you will be thus when you are dead
Waawoo waawoo
the worms crawled in the worms crawled out
the worms they crawled right down their snout
Waawoo waawoo
WAAWOO!
i never thought i would find the song but i guess i did
May 31st, 2012 at 1:07 am
This goes back generations, much older than 50s and 60s. Here is the version our grandmother (She was born in 1884.) recited for us when we were children in the 40s and 50s in New England. It was not a song — it was a chant. There was no “ooo-oo-ooo” after each line — instead the last word of each line was 2 syllables with an emphasis on the first, as in BO-one. I have typed the first 2 lines with accented syllables capitalized, to show the rhythm. I assume my grandmother heard it from her parents and grandparents, and that it came down in the family through forebears from England in the 16- or 1700s.
There WAS an old WOman all SKIN and BO-one.
She LIVED on a HILLside ALL aLO-one.
She thought she’d go to church one da-ay
To hear the parson preach and pra-ay.
When she came unto a sti-ile,
She thought she’d rest her bones awhi-ile.
And when she came unto the chur-urch door,
She saw a corpse upon the flo-or.
The worms crawled in and the worms crawled ou-t
The corpse’s eyes and ears and snou-t.
The woman then unto the preacher sa-id,
“Will I be thus when I am de-ad?”
The preacher then unto the woman sa-id,
“You will be thus when you are de-ad.”
The woman then unto the corpse sa-id,
“Will I be thus when I am de-ad?”
The corpse then unto the woman sa-id,
BOO!
October 10th, 2014 at 2:24 am
This is the version I learned as a kid.
Do you ever see a hearse go by
And think you are the next to die
They wrap you up in bloody sheets
And throw you down about six feet deep
It all goes well for about a week
And then your casket begins to leak
A big green big with big green eyes
Crawls up your liver and out your eyes
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
The bugs play pinochle on your snout
Your eyes explode, your teeth decay
And that’s the end of a happy day.
August 20th, 2015 at 10:16 am
I’m trying to remember the version which goes like this
The lady to the doctor said what will I look like when I’m dead ahoo ahoo ahooo
The doctor to the lady said here’s what you’ll look like when your dead ahoo ,,,,