Vicki Winston sent me the following version of The Hearse Song. Although it’s a gruesome song, many people seem to have fond memories of singing it during childhood (including me!).
Vicki wrote:
Here’s the version we sang in North Carolina in the 50’s and 60’s:
Don’t ever laugh when a hearse goes by,
Or you may be the next to die.They wrap you up in a bloody sheet,
And bury you under about six feet.All goes well for a couple of weeks,
But then your coffin begins to leak.The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, The worms play pinochle on your snout.
Your stomach turns a slimy green,
And puss comes out of you like whipped cream.You lap it up with a piece of bread,
And that’s what you eat when you are dead.
Thanks Vicki!
Here you’ll find other versions of The Hearse Song. Feel free to add the version you know in the comments.
Lisa
***
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 Thursday, June 29th, 2006 at 9:13 pm and is filed under American Kids Songs, British Children's Songs, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, English, Folk Songs, Halloween, Halloween Songs, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Languages, The Hearse Song, 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.
22 Responses to ““The Hearse Song” as Sung in North Carolina”
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October 1st, 2006 at 2:13 pm
This is the version that I was taught:
You better not laugh as the hearse goes by
or you may be the next to die
They wrap you up in a big white sheet
and bury you six or seven feet
The worms crawl in
The worms crawl out
They eat your eyes
They eat your nose
They eat the jelly between your toes
So you better not laugh when the hearse goes bye
or you may be the next to DIE
I suppose this is the simplest version.
October 16th, 2006 at 10:05 pm
Dont ever laugh as the hearse goes by
for you may be the next to die
Theyll wrap you in a linen sheet
And bury you about 6 feet deep
Youre okay for about a week
until the coffin begins to leak
The worms crawl in
the worms crawl out
the worms play pinochle on your snout
October 16th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
Dont you ever laugh as the hearse goes by
for you may be the next to die
Theyll wrap you in a big white sheet
From your head down to your feet
Theyll put you in a big black box
and cover you up with dirt and rocks
All goes well for about a week
until your coffin begins to leak
the worms crawl in
the worms crawl out
the worms play pinochle in your snout
a great big worm with rolling eyes
crawls in your stomach and out your eyes
your stomach turns a slimy green
and puss pours out like whipping cream
you spread it on a slice of bread
and thats what you eat when you are dead
May 5th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
the last version is the one that i learned
August 24th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
here’s the one i learned as a kid. funny how everyone in different places has such different versions of the same song.
Have you ever seen a hearse go by, and think of the day you’re gonna die?
They put you in a wooden box, and cover you up with dirt and rocks.
All is fine the first few weeks, then your coffin begins to leak.
The worms crawl in the worms crawl out, into your stomach and out your mouth.
Your guts turn into a slimy green, you scoop it up with a piece of bread and that’s what you eat when you are dead!
August 29th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Do you know if this version is in the public domain? I can’t find any information on it.
September 25th, 2009 at 11:32 am
This is how I learned this song when I was in the Boy Scouts some time ago here in Missouri. This song has never left me for some reason, funny. Just sung it just the other day for a guy at work. Stumbled upon this site and decided to share. lol
Now dont you laugh when the hearse goes by
For you may be the next to die
They wrap you up in bloody sheets
And dig a hole six feet deep
They throw in dirt they throw in rocks
They dont give a damn if they break the box
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 gooey between your toes
So dont you laugh when the hearse goes by
For you may be (pause)
the next to die.
November 11th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
The version that i learned and can barely remember, i think my dad added a few lines to mix things up, its been about 15 years though so hard to remember it.
Now don’t you laugh when a hearse goes by
for you may be the next one to die.
They wrap you up in a white bloody sheet
then they bury you 6 feet deep.
the worms crawl in
the worms crawl out
the worms play pinochle on your snout.
They eat your eyes they eat your toes
they eat the boogers right out of your nose.
Your hair falls off, your teeth decay
your brain turns to marble and rolls awaaay.
(i think thats how he sung it)
November 11th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Cool version!
July 5th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Don’t you laugh when the hearse goes by
for you might be the next to die
they’ll wrap you up in a dirty white sheet
and throw you under about 6 feet
the worms crawl in
the worms crawl out
over and under and out through your mouth
they’ll eat the gook between your toes
they’ll eat the boogers out of your nose
so don’t you laugh when the hearse goes by
for you might be – the- next-to-die
August 14th, 2010 at 6:31 am
I recited this version for a poetry project in english back in 6th grade, my teacher loved it, and I got an A.
Dont you ever laugh as the hearse goes by
for you may be the next to die
Theyll wrap you in a big white sheet
From your head down to your feet
Theyll put you in a big black box
and cover you up with dirt and rocks
All goes well for about a week
until your coffin begins to leak
the worms crawl in
the worms crawl out
the worms play pinochle in your snout
a great big worm with rolling eyes
crawls in your stomach and out your eyes
your stomach turns a slimy green
and puss pours out like whipping cream
you spread it on a slice of bread
and thats what you eat when you are dead
August 31st, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Don’t you laugh when the hearse goes by,
for you may be the next to die.
They wrap you up in a bloody sheet,
and throw you under six feet deep.
The worms crawl in the worms crawl out,
the ants play pinochle on your snout.
Then your body turns a sickening green,
and pus pours out like thick whipped cream.
And me without my straw.
(make 2 slurping sounds).
That is how I heard it as a kid in California.
October 14th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
This is the version I learned growing up in Scotland:
“If ever you see a hearse go by
Remember some day you will die…ahhhooooooo, ahhoooooo;
They wrap you up in a long white shirt
and cover you over with heaps of dirt…ahhooooo, ahhooooo;
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
They go in thin and they come out stout….ahhoooo, ahhoooo;
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl through
They make a terrible mess of you….ahhoooo, ahhoooo….
etc.
December 7th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Do no laugh when a hearse goes by
or you’ll be the next to die
They wrap you up in a big white sheet
and bury you down about six feet deep
All goes well for about a week
until your coffin begins to creek
the worms crawl in
the worms crawl out
the worme lay pinochle on your snout
they’ll eat your eyes
they’ll eat your nose
they’ll eat the jelly between your toes
so do not laugh when a hearse goes by
or you’ll be the next to die!
March 15th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
I learned a shortened version in the Chicago area when I was young and set to a tune:
Don’t ever laugh when a hearse goes by
For you may be-hee the next to die.
They wrap you up in a big white sheet
And throw you down about sixty feet.
The worms crawl in and
the worms crawl out.
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
So don’t ever laugh when a hearse goes by
…for you may be-he the next to die
October 13th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
In Alabama I sang it as
Did you ever think as a hearse goes by
that you may be the next to die
they wrap you up in a big white sheet
from your head down to your feet
the worms crawl in and the worms crawl out
In your stomach and out your snout
your eyes pop out your teeth decay
and that is the end of a perfect day.
August 3rd, 2012 at 4:44 am
And then this from a Minnesota church camp in the 1950s…
The hearse goes by, the hearse goes by, then you know it’s time to die.
They wrap you in a winding sheet and bury your casket six feet deep.
All goes well for about a week, and then your coffin begins to leak.
The worms crawl in, and the worms crawl out.
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
Little bugs with fiery eyes go in your gizzard and out your eyes.
Then your stomach turns grassy green, and pus runs out like whipping cream, and me without my spoon — yum, yum!
August 20th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
This is how I remember it….
Have you ever seen a hearse go by,
Did you ever think you’d be the next to die?
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 the the coffin starts to leak.
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
They chew you up, they spit you out
They turn your guts to sauerkraut!
Mmm, give me a spoon!!
November 7th, 2012 at 10:40 am
We were a traveling submarine family in the 50’s and 60’s so I don’t know in which state my dad picked this up (we did spend 3 years in Mississippi and another 3 in South Carolin) but he sang it this way:
Did you ever think, when the hearse goes by
That you might be the next to die?
They put you in a wooden box
And bury you under some stones and rocks.
For 5 long days, as all goes well
And then the box begins to smell
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out
The termites play Pinochle on your snout
You liver is dead, your eyes are out
and then your teeth begin to shout:
“Let me out” (and you jump at your listeners)
January 14th, 2021 at 5:11 pm
I had an almost serial killer variation of this song the first time I heard it. I think the person who told me probably missed some lines and made up at least some of it. It went something like this:
I’ll wrap you up in a bloody sheet
And drop you down a thousand feet
The worms crawl in the worms crawl out
Ready to see your brains pop out
Your stomach’s twisting left and right
I can see you cannot fight
Please don’t struggle I can see
You cannot escape me.
January 14th, 2021 at 5:34 pm
That’s very creepy Alex! Scaaaary!
August 14th, 2021 at 9:42 pm
I was trying to find the version I learned at camp to see if I knew all the words :
Did you ever see a hearse go by and wonder if you’re the next to die! They cover you up in a bloody sheet and then they bury you six feet deep The worms crawl in the worms crawl out they eat your guts and they spit them out and one little worm who has lost his way, goes in one ear and out the other way They use your bones for telephones to call you back when you’re not at home! Your eyes fall out your teeth decay and that is the end of a wonderful day!
Not a lot like these versions!