Michael Vosse penned an article for ''Fusion'' magazine in which he discussed the ''Smile'' album. In the article, he mentioned that a song called "Bicycle Rider" "was to be integrated" with another song, "Home on the Range", that later evolved into "
Cabinessence
"Cabinessence" (also typeset as "Cabin Essence") is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1969 album '' 20/20'' and their unfinished ''Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson described the song as ...
".
Commenting on the release of ''
The Smile Sessions
''The Smile Sessions'' is a compilation album and box set recorded by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on October 31, 2011 by Capitol Records. The set is the follow-up to '' The Pet Sounds Sessions'' (1997), this time focusing on the ...
'' (2011),
Al Jardine
Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as " Help Me, Rh ...
stated: "I kept yelling at people over at Capitol that there’s not one goddamn lyric about worms on this track. It’s called 'Roll Plymouth Rock'. I defy you to find anything about worms on there. But they wanted to name it 'Do You Like Worms'. ... I’m sure that there was a song that Brian and Van Dyke did do called 'Do You Like Worms' that they didn't even play for us."
Lyricism and artwork
"Do You Like Worms?" is about the recolonization of the American continent. In Parks' words, "It's about bringing this Euro-sensibility into the taming of the American continent, from
Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the ''Mayflower'' Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in December 1620. The Pilgrims did not refer to Plymouth Rock in any of their writings; the first known writt ...
to
Waikiki
Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...
." The "bicycle rider" mentioned in the lyric is a reference to "Bicycle Rider Back" playing cards printed by the
United States Playing Card Company
The United States Playing Card Company (USPC, though also commonly known as USPCC) is a large American producer and distributor of playing cards. It was established in 1867 as Russell, Morgan & Co. and founded in its current incarnation in 1885. ...
during the 19th century. Parks commented, "A lot of people misinterpreted that, but that's OK; it's OK not to be told what to think, if you're an audience."
Artist
Frank Holmes, who designed the ''Smile'' cover artwork, created an illustration that was inspired by the song's lyrics: "Do You Like Worms". Along with several other drawings, it was planned to be included within a booklet packaged with the ''Smile'' LP. Holmes shared a summary of his design choices in Priore's 2005 book ''Smile: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece'':
One of the lyrics written for the song was "And as we returned to the East or West Indies / We always got them confused".
Holmes explained more about the song in a 1997 issue of the ''Endless Summer Quarterly'' fanzine:
According to journalist
Domenic Priore
Domenic Priore (born January 15th 1960) is an American author, historian and television producer whose focus is on popular music and its attendant youth culture.
Biography
He has written extensively about The Beach Boys' ''Smile'' album, includin ...
, 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
"This Land Is Your Land" is one of the United States' most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1940 in critical response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", with melody based on a Carter Fam ...
", while the tag lyric, "mahala lu lei", refers to a Hawaiian Thanksgiving prayer.
Recording
Most of "Do You Like Worms?" was recorded at one session held on October 18, 1966 at
Western Studio.
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."
In his review of ''The Smile Sessions'' for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'',
David Fricke
David Fricke is an American music journalist who serves as the senior editor at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, where he writes predominantly about rock music. One of the best known names in rock journalism, his career has spanned over 40 years. I ...
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."
The group overdubbed vocals onto the track on December 21 at
Columbia Studio.
At some point, Wilson began considering the "Bicycle Rider" theme for inclusion in the structure of "
Heroes and Villains
"Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album '' Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned the song as an Old West-the ...
". Further overdubs to the "Bicycle Rider" section were recorded on January 5, 1967. The latter session was logged as "Heroes and Villains: Part 2".
According to historian Keith Badman, the lyrics about the "Sandwich Isles" and "ribbon of concrete" were "apparently not recorded".
Aftermath
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?". In 1978,
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...
told biographer
David Leaf
David Leaf (born April 20, 1952) is a Peabody and WGAW award-winning writer, director, and producer, known for his associations with Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys since the late 1970s.
Leaf's 1978 biography ''The Beach Boys and the California ...
that the band's manager
James William Guercio
James William Guercio (born July 18, 1945) is an American music producer, musician, songwriter, and director. He is well known for his work as the producer of Chicago's early albums as well as early recordings of The Buckinghams and Blood, Sweat ...
had insisted on opening ''
L.A. (Light Album)
''L.A. (Light Album)'' is the 23rd studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on March 16, 1979, and their first issued through CBS Records. Recorded during a period of acrimony between the band members, it was a critical an ...
'' with a ''Smile'' track titled "Rock Plymouth Rock/Roll".
In 2004, Wilson rerecorded "Do You Like Worms" as "Roll Plymouth Rock" for his album ''
Brian Wilson Presents Smile
''Brian Wilson Presents Smile'' (also referred to as ''Smile'' or the abbreviation ''BWPS'') is the fifth studio album by American musician Brian Wilson, released on September 28, 2004 on Nonesuch. It features all-new recordings of music that ...
''. Asked about the title change, Wilson explained, "Because we wanted something a little more appropriate, you know? Something that sounded more appropriate."
Personnel
Per band archivist Craig Slowinski.
The Beach Boys
*
Al Jardine
Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as " Help Me, Rh ...
- backing and harmony vocals
*
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...
– backing and harmony vocals
*
Mike Love
Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bas ...
- backing and harmony vocals
*
Brian Wilson - lead, backing and harmony vocals,
harpsichord
*
Carl Wilson - backing and harmony vocals; overdubbed 12-string electric slide guitar (uncertain credit)
*
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...
- backing and harmony vocals
Guest
*
Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle'' and for his collaborations with ...
- piano with taped strings,
tack piano
A tack piano (also known as a harpsipiano, jangle piano, and junk piano) is an altered version of an ordinary piano, in which objects such as thumbtacks or nails are placed on the felt-padded hammers of the instrument at the point where the ha ...
Session musicians
*
Jerry Cole
Jerald Edward Kolbrak (September 23, 1939 – May 28, 2008), known professionally as Jerry Cole, was an American guitarist who recorded under his own name, under various budget album pseudonyms and as an uncredited session musician.
Biograph ...
- 12-string electric rhythm guitar; overdubbed 12-string electric slide guitar (uncertain credit)
*
Gene Estes
The Wrecking Crew was a loose collective of Los Angeles-based session musicians whose services were employed for a great number of studio recordings in the 1960s and 1970s, including hundreds of top 40 hits. The musicians were not publicly rec ...
- timpani
*
Jim Gordon - "parade drum" with mallet,
conga
*
Carol Kaye - Fender bass
*BIll Pitman –
Danelectro
Danelectro is a brand of musical instruments and accessories, founded in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1947. The company is known primarily for its string instruments that employed unique designs and manufacturing processes. The Danelectro company was ...
bass
*
Lyle Ritz
Lyle Joseph Ritz (January 10, 1930 – March 3, 2017) was an American musician, known for his work on ukulele and bass (both double bass and bass guitar). His early career in jazz as a ukulele player made him a key part of the Hawaii music scene ...
–
upright bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...
Cover versions
* 1998 –
The Olivia Tremor Control
The Olivia Tremor Control is an American psychedelic band from Athens, Georgia. The band's main line-up comprised Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, Eric Harris, John Fernandes, and Peter Erchick. The Olivia Tremor Control's music encompasses a wide r ...
, ''
Smiling Pets'' (as "Do You Like Worms? (Do You Dig Worms?)")
* 1998 –
FORMS
Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens.
Form also refers to:
*Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data
* ...
, ''Smiling Pets'' (as "Heroes and Villains")
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{authority control
1966 songs
The Beach Boys songs
Brian Wilson songs
Macaronic songs
Songs written by Brian Wilson
Songs written by Van Dyke Parks
Song recordings produced by Brian Wilson
Songs about bicycles
Songs about the United States
Songs about indigenous peoples
Songs based on American history