Today we went to a Halloween party and when we got home I happily found this email in my inbox from Tanya…
I bought my kids a dancing skeleton this year and it sings this song and I never knew what it was called but the words go like this:
Did you ever see a hearse go by, who will be the next to die?
They’ll wrap him in a big white sheet;
And bury him down 6 feet deep
The worms crawled in the worms crawled out
the worms play pinochle on your snoutHa, Ha, Ha, Ha!
-Another version of The Hearse Song!
Thanks Tanya!
-Lisa
Here you’ll find other versions of The Hearse Song. Feel free to add the version you know in the comments.
***
Come read about The Origin of The Worms Crawl in the Worms Crawl Out a.k.a. The Hearse Song.
This article was posted on Sunday, October 30th, 2005 at 9:03 pm and is filed under Children's Songs, Halloween, Holidays Around the World, Songs by Theme, The Hearse Song. 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.
January 23rd, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Erin wrote me…
I always sang it like this:
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 goo between your toes!
Thanks for writing Erin!
Lisa
November 3rd, 2006 at 10:19 am
Kevin wrote in…
Hey Mamalisa–I’m getting a big kick out of your site–i googled “the worms play pinnacle on your snout” and found your site–the people at work think i’m crazy so i had to prove to them that it’s a real song–here’s how we sang it when we were kids
The worms go in, The worms go out
The worms play pinnacle on your snout
Your body turns a sickening green
and puss comes out like whipping cream
Enjoy–Kevin
January 3rd, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Sami wrote me…
The “REAL” version of “The Hearse Song”:
Don’t You Ever Laugh As A 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,
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 Your Dead.
Thanks for writing!
-Lisa
November 25th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I never knew the last few lines so after they eat crawl in your stomach and out your mouth we always said that the worms crawl in – the worms crawl out in your ear and out of your rear. I like the sickening green and pu pouring out like whip cream Yuck- and the bread you eat when you are dead! LOL
January 19th, 2008 at 12:08 am
I just came across your website while doing a search trying to find lyrics to a song I learned as a youngster in New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Canada growing up in the mid-late 60’s. What I remember does have some similarities to your “hearse song” but not quite the same – would love to know if anyone else remembers a version closer to mine. What I can remember goes like this:
“and one little worm who wasn’t too shy
crawled in your ear and out your eye
and all your innards were slimy green
and your intestines were rich white cream
and I without my spoon!”
April 30th, 2008 at 12:55 am
Just thought I would add my own version.
Have you ever thought when a 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 six feet
All goes well for about a week
And then the coffin begins to leak
little white worms with big blue eyes
Crawl in your ears and out your eyes
They crawl in and they crawl out
And they play ping pong upon your snout
There may be more but that is all I can remember.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:22 am
1960s NOLA version…
Never laugh as a hearse goes by
Cause you may be the next to die
(First) they wrap you up in a big white sheet
And then they bury you six feet deep
All goes well for about a week
And then the bugs begin to eat
They eat your eyes
They eat your nose
They eat the goop in between your toes
Your stomach turns a sickening green
And guts pour out like whipping cream
That’s what happens when you die!
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:25 pm
dont you ever laugh at the hearse or uyou will be the first to die they put in a big black box and cover u up with dirt and rocks theres a big white worm with rolling eyes goes through your stomach and out your eyes puse comes out like cream cheese you put it on a slice of bread and that is what tou eat wen you are dead
December 28th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Do you know of an old horror movie that had a girl
singing this song in it? I think it was made in the 60’s. Thanks!
February 13th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Here is the version I learned as a child in Canada during the 50’s
Have you ever thought that when a hearse went by
That you might be the next to die?
They put you in a wooden box
And cover you up with mud and rocks.
First your coffin begins to leak,
Moles crawl in and moles crawl out.
Two ants play golf on your snout.
Little bugs that look like flies
Crawl in your liver and out your eyes.
Then your liver turns to a slimy green
And puffs up like thick whipped cream.
Then your bones begin to fall apart,
And there is nothing left but your slimy heart.
February 14th, 2009 at 4:37 am
Did you ever think as the dead go by
that you too are someday doomed to die
They’ll bury you deep beneath the ground
and all that is left is a little mound
Then the worms go in and the worms go out
the worms crawl in and out of your mouth
They come by ones and they come by tens
they don’t come alone, they bring their friends
Then the maggots they crawl and the flies they eat
that delicious old stinking rotten meat
March 4th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
I’d be interested in the name of the horror movie with the little girl singing the
song.I heard this as a little girl and have never been able to find it.
March 14th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
The song was used in the original episodes of the 3 Stooges, someone would whistle the melody and as a kid I never new it had lyrics.
When I was “old enough” my mom taught me how they used to sign that back in the 30’s. It was very much like the one NYCEM said.
I’ll ask my mom to type me them as she remembers them.
March 15th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
THIS IS THE VERSION I LEARNED IN PHILLY AS AN INNOCENT CHILD!
I ALWAYS DREAMED OF A HEARSE GO BY WHEN ONE FINE DAY YOU ARE GOING TO DIE AHH HOOOOO, AHH HOOOOO.
THEY PUT YOU IN A BIG WOODEN BOX AND COVER YOU OVER WITH GRAVEL AND ROCKS AHH HOOOOO, AHH HOOOO.
THE WORMS CRAWL IN THE BUGS CRAWL OUT SLIMEY SALIVA COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH AHH HOOOO, AH HOOOO.
THATS ALL I CAN REMEMBER, ED
March 24th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Here is the version I remember……..
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
In through your nose, and out your mouth.
The rest is just a blur.
April 4th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
NO it goes like this
have u ever thought as the days go by
that u may be the next to die?
they wrap u up in a big white sheet
from ur head down to ur feet!
the worms crawl in and the worms crawl out
through ur stomoch and out ur snout.
ur eyes fall out and ur teeth decay
And thats the end of a perfect day!!!!!
April 5th, 2009 at 3:27 am
This is a version i learned in Binghamton NY in the mid 70’s
The worms crawl in,
The worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
Your chest caves in,
Your teeth decay,
Your eyeballs fall out and roll away.
A different ending than any others I’ve seen so far.
April 16th, 2009 at 8:54 am
This is the version my grandma sang to my mom when she was little:
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
The worms play pinochle on your snout
Your liver turns a gassly green
The puss pours out just like whipped cream
Your eyes pop out, your teeth decay
And that’s the end of a perfect day
Do me a favor…
Drop Dead!
Of course, I think this is the best version.
May 8th, 2009 at 3:23 am
I’d be interested in the name of the movie with the young woman singing the song. I saw this as a young girl and have never been able to find it. I think it had Fred MacMurrey in it, and part of the movie he had washed his hands and face and he was glowing.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
I’ve been trying to figure out what that old movie was called also. I’d really like to watch it again. It seems like there was a girl in a white gown holding a candle and singing that song. There were flames like the house was on fire or something.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:29 am
My family passed it down like this….
yet another version
You never know when the hearse goes by
You might be the next to die
They wrap you up in red and green
and take you for a ride in a limosine
They throw you about six feet down
and it’s not so bad for the first few weeks
but then the worms go in and out
and the ants play peek-a-boo on you snout
and then you turn a sickly green
and pus runs out like whipping cream
November 16th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
the worms crawl in
the worms crawl out
they eat your guts
and they poop them out
My dad would sing that at us whenever the subject of death or putrefaction came up! I never knew there were verses (or pinochle!) until I was about 30. I love how these songs evolve!
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Did you ever think when a hearse went by that you may be the next to die. They wrap you up in a big white sheet and put you down about six feet deep. 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. Your body turns a slimy green and puss runs out like thick whip cream. You sop it up with a piece of bread and thats what you eat when you are dead.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
This is all I can remember of the south Louisiana version in about ’49 or early 50’s
/////////////////
Have you ever thought when the hearse goes by
That you may be the next to die
They wrap you up in an old dirty sheet
And drop you down about six feet deep
All goes well for about a week
And then your coffin springs a leak
The worms ooze in and the worms ooze out
In your nose and out your mouth
Your stomach turns a pale, pale green,
And puss oozes out like whipped, whipped cream
/////////////
That’s all I can remember
April 20th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Don’t laugh or grin when the hearse goes by
For you may be the next one to die
They wrap you in a big white sheet
And bury you under six feet deep.
And then the world begins to creep
And your coffin begins to seep
The worms crawl in the worms crawl out
The worms play pinuckle on your snout.
They eat your eyes, they eat your nose
They eat the jelly between your toes
They scoop it up and put it on bread and
That’s what you eat when you are dead!
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Here how we sang it backin central Ill. in the 30 & 40’s
Don’t you laugh when the hearse goes by,
For you may be the next to die,
They’ll wrap you up in a dirty white sheet,
and throw you down about six feet deep.
The worms will crawl in and the worms will crawl out,
the ants will play pinochle on your snout.
You skin will turn a slimmy green and
pus will ooz out like whipping cream.
So don’t you laugh when the hearse drives by,
for you may be e e e the next to d i e !
May 6th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Ann wrote:
all my life i remmber the song i read in a book scary stories to tell in the dark by alvin schwartz all the ones i’ve seen on this website really dont match it…but anyway..here’s the version i learned:
dont you ever laugh as the hearse goes by,
for you may be the next to die.
they wrap you in a big white sheet
from your head down to your feet.
the put you in a big black box
and cover you with dirt and rocks
all goes well for about a week
then your coffin begings to leak
the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
the worms play pinochole in your snout
a bug green worm with rolling eyes
crawls in your stomace and out your eyes
your stomache turns a slimy green
and pus pours out like wipping cream
you spread it on a peice of bread
that’s what you eat when you are dead!
May 7th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Farrin wrote:
Hey, I saw your post and I wanted to share my version that my mom used to sing to me and my brother when we were kids..oooh I used to be so scared of it. The lyrics are..
The worms crawl in
The worms crawl out
In your stomach
And out your mouth
They suck your blood
And then They die
You will be the next to die
So never laugh
When a hearse goes by
Or you will be the next…..to…..DIE!!!!!
HAHAHAHA
May 7th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Steven Perry wrote:
I remember one verse that went something like:
They take you to the undertaker
Who scrapes out your guts
With a slimy scraper.
May 7th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Thomas Taylor wrote:
Lived in NOLA in the early 1960s and the lyrics went like this…
Never laugh as a hearse goes by, cause you may be the next to die
(First) they wrap you up in a big white sheet, and then they bury you six feet deep
All goes well for about a week, and then the bug begin to eat
They eat your eyes, they eat your nose, they eat the goop in between your toes
Your stomach turns a sickening green, and guts pour out like whipping cream
That’s what happens when you die… So…
May 7th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Jenell wrote:
Here’s the version my dear Great Grandpa used to sing:
Don’t ever laugh when a hearse goes by,
For you may be the next to die.
They’ll wrap you up In a clean white sheet
And bury you under six feet deep.
A day or two goes by, The coffin begins to rot,
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
Your eyes will turn a gassy green
And start foaming out like whipping cream,
And to think of it… I forgot a spoon
I brought a straw…
~Jenell
May 13th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Sir;
this was a holloween song when i was a kid. (i’m 71 now)
God bless…
June 17th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Here is the version I learned…..My Grandma sang it to us. She was from Kansas during the Great Depression
Never laugh when a hearse goes by.
Or you will be the next to die.
They wrap you up in bloody sheets.
And send you down bout six feet deep
you’ll be ok for about a week.
Until you body begins to reek.
The little green bug with the big blue eyes.
Eats thru your liver and out your eyes.
He’ll eat your thighs, hell eat your nose.
He’ll eat the jelly between your toes.
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out.
The worms play Pinochle on your snout.
Your skin goes away.
Your teeth decay.
And that’s the end of a perfect day!
July 16th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Another version:
Your body turns a deathly green and puss comes out like salad cream.
Your eyes cave in your teeth fall out and your brains come trickling down your snout.
The worms crawl in the worms crawl out, they in thin they crawl out stout.
From London UK circa 1956
Alan
July 27th, 2010 at 1:03 am
I ran across this version in a book called
Intervention by Julian May(1987)
Did you ever think, as a hearse goes by,
That you might be the next to die?
They wrap you up in a long white sheet,
And bury you down about six feet deep!
The worms crawl in! The worms crawl out!
The worms play pinochle in your mouth!
Your body turns a mossy green,
And pus runs out like thick ice cream!
July 30th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
The version I grew up with:
Have you ever thought when a hearse goes by,
That you may be the next to die.
The undertaker takes you in,
And looks you over with a grin.
He covers you up in a dirty sheet,
Then he buries you six feet deep.
All goes well for about a week,
Then you coffin begins to leak.
The worms crawl in the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle up your snout.
Then you stomach turns a slimy green,
The pus comes out like thick whipped cream.
They spread it on a piece of bread,
And that’s what happens when you are dead….!
The End! ;]
September 6th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Here’s what I remember growing up, it’s a little different from the rest I’ve read…
Don’t you laugh when a hearse goes by
Or you will be the next to die
They put you in a big black box
And fill you up with dirt and rocks
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 black worm with rolling eyes
Goes in your stomach and out your eyes
Your stomach turns a slimy green
And puss comes out like whipping cream
You put it on a slice of bread
And that’s what you eat when you are DEAD!
September 10th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
The name of the movie with the little girl singing is called “Picture Mommy Dead” starring Don Ameche and Zsa Zsa Gabor.
September 13th, 2010 at 5:01 am
THis is another version:
Have you ever seen a hearse go by
someday you’ll think your doomed to die
they’ll wrap you up in a big white sheet
through you down about 6 feet
it all goes well for about a week
and then the coffin begins to leak
the worms crawl in the worms crawl out
they eat the goo between your snout
your eyes turn red, your eyes trun green
the puss comes out like whipping cream
mmhmmm…don’t you wish you had a spoon??
HaHa
November 12th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
This is the charming version we learned in Ohio, early 1950s:
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
The worms play pinocle on your snout, you’re dead.
Now when you see a ghost go by you know it’s your turn to die.
They’ll put you in your coffin and bury you under the mountain deep.
In about a week, your coffin will start to leak;
Your head will turn red, your stomach green
And the pus will run out like whipping cream —
You’re dead! You’re dead! You’re dead!
December 11th, 2010 at 1:55 am
Murdock from the A-Team sang it like this:
Have you ever seen a hearse go by
And wonder that you’ll surely die?
They put you in a wooden box
And cover you over with dirt and rocks.
Then… he stops singing. Sorry… That’s it.
January 7th, 2011 at 9:09 pm
My mom taught me this version
Never laugh as a hearse goes by
For you may be the next to die
They put you in a big brown box
And cover you up with dirt and rocks
For a week it’s nice and neat
But then box begins to leak
Worms crawl in
Worms crawl out
In your stomach
And out your mouth
They use your bones as telephones
And call you up when you’re not home
January 16th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
So many versions of the same song…was just singing it to my boyfriend and his 16 year old daughter who had never heard it before. I think this version dates back to the Middle Ages.
“Did you ever think as a hearse goes by
That some of these days you must surely die?
They’ll take you away in a big black hack;
They’ll take you away but the won’t bring you back,
And your eyes drop out and your teeth fall in ,
And the worms crawl over your mouth and chin;
And the worms crawl out and the worms crawl in,
And your limbs drop off limb by limb.
June 6th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
This is how i know it…
You never know when the hearse rolls by
That you could be the next to die
They roll you up in a clean white sheet
And all goes well for about a week
Then your coffin begins to leak
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
Then they play peanuckle on your snout
They eat your cloths they eat your hat
They crawl out skinny then crawl out fat!
September 7th, 2011 at 11:11 pm
I remember my dad saying this poem to me as a child!! Its a different version than ive seen here.
Did you ever think as the hearst went by that one of these days your gonna die?
Its not the cop that carries you off its the coffin that carries you often.
Now the cemetary its a lonley place they lay you down and throw dirt in your face and when they have covered you nice and neat you can be well assured that its a cool 6ft. The little worms dont seem to mind for through your eyes theyll squirm and wind. And when they have picked you nice and clean they can still play tag in your “OLD WHITE BEAN”
October 14th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
The version we sang going to grade school in 1966-
Did you ever see a hearse go by
and think you’ll be the next to die
They’ll wrap you up in a bloody sheet
and toss you down about 80 feet
The bugs crawl in he bugs crawl out
the ants play pinnocle on your snout
You’re OK for about a week
and then your casket springs a leak
The pus comes out like whipping cream
Only if I had spoon!
October 21st, 2011 at 12:17 am
This is the version I learned as a child.
Have you ever wondered when a black hearse goes by,
That you might be the next to die,
They cover you up with a big white sheet,
And carry you below six feet deep,
You’ll be alright for about a week,
And then your casket will begin to leak,
The worms crawl in and the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle on your snout,
They eat the jam between your toes,
And eat the snot right out of your nose,
They turn your stomach to a slimy green,
That tastes just like lime icecream,
They spread in on some molded bread,
And that what they eat,
When you are DEAD!!!!!
December 7th, 2011 at 8:39 pm
My learned version is short and sweet?
Did you ever think, when a hearse went by,
that someday day you would die.
Your eyes fall in and your teeth fall off
and your hair turns to suaerkraut
May 4th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
This is the version of the song that I sang as a child. I memorized it as a child while living with my cousin in New York.
Whenever you see a hearse go by
Do you think you’re the next to die?
They wrap you up in a bloody sheet
and throw you in about six feet deep
And all goes fine for about a week
until your coffin begins to leak
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
the worms play Pinnacle on your snout
The little worm that wasn’t shy
crawls in your ear and out your eye
Your tummy turns an oozy green
and oozes out like thick whipped cream
And this is what you spread on bread
and eeeeaaaat when you are dead.
This is not my creation, this is how I learned it many years ago from my cousin in New York (I’m 64 and this is 2012). Thank you Mama Lisa for having this page.
October 1st, 2012 at 5:34 am
This is how we sang it as kids:D
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle with your snout
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
Into your stomach, and out your mouth
They eat your intestines, they scramble your heart
Now you fell like you’re falling apart
This is how it is to die
You end up looking like apple pie!
Did you ever see a hearse go by,
And think you could be the next to die?
They put you in a little box,
Cover you up with dirt and rocks
They take you to the family plot
And there you stay, to stink and rot.
For you they make a flower wreath
And chuck you in a hole so deep.
But maybe you’re not really gone,
You can hear the mourning song.
You yank the rope to ring the bell
You call for God and you curse hell.