Hey Indians... DYLW?

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Dove into project smile today, great stuff for someone a bit too young to fully get BWPS's hype... But I stumbled upon a forum post where they were talking about the art for DYLW, someone said...

"In the March 1997 ESQ interview Frank says the lyrics he had "had to do with images of people waving from an ocean liner, and native Indians behind that."
As for the drawing, he said the Indians behind a blanket fishing was based on a game he remembered as a kid called fish, that was played at church socials. "They had people behind a curtain, and you'd stand and throw this fishing line over it and they'd hook on some beads or some kind of toy. So I tried to show that as representing the Indians trading Manhattan Island for the beads."
The sign on the island says "Rhode Island Red-3 mi.""

"Sounds to me like a connection I've never really thought about: "worms" as the bait for the guys who are fishing."

"Whoa.... so the Indians were taking the bait (worms)?

Heavy man."

And I began to think about what the title means... Does it really mean someone asking "Do you like worms" to Indians symbolizing taking the bait when the settlers came?

Man... That's a new thought on this song! Makes me really "Dig" it even more!

[Magic Transistor Radio]

That happened when they gave Albert Belle a big contract.

[Wrightfan]

That happened when they gave Albert Belle a big contract.

A real corker that guy.

[mike s]

isn't the Worms imagery related to rolling over a rock and finding them under it..?  Plymouth Rock...

its quite dark and disturbing I think

[Summertime Blooz]

isn't the Worms imagery related to rolling over a rock and finding them under it..?  Plymouth Rock...

its quite dark and disturbing I think

Yeah- this is kind of my interpretation too. You roll over the Plymouth Rock and find the ugliness (the worms) beneath America's history. I don't think fishing has anything to do with it, but it's open to anybody's interpretation.

[SufferingFools]

Dove into project smile today, great stuff for someone a bit too young to fully get BWPS's hype... But I stumbled upon a forum post where they were talking about the art for DYLW, someone said...

"In the March 1997 ESQ interview Frank says the lyrics he had "had to do with images of people waving from an ocean liner, and native Indians behind that."
As for the drawing, he said the Indians behind a blanket fishing was based on a game he remembered as a kid called fish, that was played at church socials. "They had people behind a curtain, and you'd stand and throw this fishing line over it and they'd hook on some beads or some kind of toy. So I tried to show that as representing the Indians trading Manhattan Island for the beads."
The sign on the island says "Rhode Island Red-3 mi.""

"Sounds to me like a connection I've never really thought about: "worms" as the bait for the guys who are fishing."

"Whoa.... so the Indians were taking the bait (worms)?

Heavy man."

And I began to think about what the title means... Does it really mean someone asking "Do you like worms" to Indians symbolizing taking the bait when the settlers came?

Man... That's a new thought on this song! Makes me really "Dig" it even more!

I remember doing that as a kid... they'd call it the Fish Pond or something.  Thanks for that-- I could never think of an explanation for what worms had to do with the song.  Fishing line-r....  Beaded cheering Indians took the bait....

[Reddiwhip]

Whoa.  I always thought it was because they were forced to dig for and eat worms because they were prohibited from hunting and gathering once they were put on reservations.

[Chris Brown]

isn't the Worms imagery related to rolling over a rock and finding them under it..?  Plymouth Rock...

its quite dark and disturbing I think

Yeah- this is kind of my interpretation too. You roll over the Plymouth Rock and find the ugliness (the worms) beneath America's history. I don't think fishing has anything to do with it, but it's open to anybody's interpretation.

This is why I was so bummed when they changed the title for BWPS.  Not only is "Do You Like Worms" just the coolest song name ever (as a young fan, it was one of the main things that made me curious about Smile), but it's a clever way of reinforcing the central theme of the lyric, i.e. the dark side of early American history that is generally swept under the rug.  It's a brilliant (and very Van Dyke-ian) analogy that sadly is totally lost when you change the name of the song to the lame "Roll Plymouth Rock".