Glow Worm
Johnny Mercer Lyrics
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Shine little glow-worm, glimmer, glimmer
Lead us lest too far we wander
Love's sweet voice is calling yonder
Shine little glow-worm, glimmer, glimmer
Hey, there don't get dimmer
Light the path below, above
And lead us on to love!
Glow little glow-worm, fly of fire
Glow like an incandescent wire
Glow for the female of the species
Turn on the AC and the DC
This night could use a little brightnin'
Light up you little ol' bug of lightnin'
When you gotta glow, you gotta glow
Glow little glow-worm, glow
Glow little glow-worm, glow and glimmer
Swim through the sea of night, little swimmer
Thou aeronautical boll weevil
Illuminate yon woods primeval
See how the shadows deep and darken
You and your chick should get to sparkin'
I got a gal that I love so
Glow little glow-worm, glow
Glow little glow-worm, turn the key on
You are equipped with taillight neon
You got a cute vest-pocket Mazda
Which you can make both slow and fazda
I don't know who you took a shine to
Or who you're out to make a sign to
I got a gal that I love so
Glow little glow-worm, glow
Put on a show worm
Glow little glow-worm, glow
The lyrics of Johnny Mercer's "Glow Worm" evoke a sense of comfort, encouragement, and guidance, as the singer implores a little glow-worm to shine brighter and lead them on the path to love. The repetition of "shine" and "glow" creates a sonorous quality, which expresses the need for illumination, clarity, and direction. The glow-worm is invoked as a symbol of light and hope, as its small but constant radiance is enough to brighten the darkest night.
The second verse expands on this image of the glow-worm and its power to light up the sky. The playful repetition of "glow" echoes the rhythm of a buzzing insect, as though the singer is conversing with the glow-worm itself. The suggestion to "turn on the A-C and the D-C" refers to alternating and direct current power sources, which may have been a nod to the cutting-edge electrical technology of the time. The glow-worm is seen as a "boll weevil" (a type of beetle that feeds on cotton plants), which adds a folksy charm to the song's language.
The final verse describes the glow-worm's versatility, as it is capable of making a "Mazda" (a type of lightbulb) go "slow or 'Fazda'" (faster). The lyrics then take a slightly melancholy turn with the suggestion that the glow-worm is out to "make a sign to" someone other than the singer's "gal." However, the general feeling is upbeat and optimistic, as the singer and the glow-worm alike seek to spread light, both literally and metaphorically, to brighten the night.
Line by Line Meaning
Shine little glow-worm, glimmer,
Radiate, tiny light-emitting insect, twinkle
Shine little glow-worm, glimmer,
Radiate, tiny light-emitting insect, twinkle
Lead us lest too far we wander
Guide us, so we don’t stray away
Love's sweet voice is calling yonder
Someone special is waiting for us in the distance
Shine little glow-worm, glimmer,
Radiate, tiny light-emitting insect, twinkle
Hey, there don't get dimmer,
Hey, don’t lose your brightness
Light the path below, above
Illuminate the path in front and above us
And lead us on to love!
Guide us to our beloved
Glow, little glow-worm, fly of fire,
Radiate, little insect that flies like a flame
Glow like an incandescent wire,
Shine like a wire that is heated to a high temperature
Glow for the female of the specie,
Radiate for your female counterpart
Turn on the A-C and the D-C;
Activate the alternating current and direct current
This night could use a little brightnin',
This night could be brighter
Light up, you li'l ol' bug of lightnin',
Shine, you small electric creature
When you gotta glow, you gotta glow, glow little glow-worm, glow
When you need to illuminate, you must radiate, shine, little bug, shine
Glow, little glow-worm, glow and glimmer,
Radiate, little insect that twinkles
Swim through the sea of night, little swimmer,
Move like you're swimming through the dark night sky
Thou aer-o-nau-tic-al boll weevil,
You, the airborne insect that feeds on cotton plants, are flying
Il-lu-mi-nate yon woods primeval;
Illuminate those ancient woods over there
See how the shadows deep and darken,
Notice how the shadows become deeper and darker
You and your chick should get to sparkin',
You and your female companion should be getting romantic
I got a gal that I love so,
I have a woman that I love deeply
Glow little glow-worm glow.
Radiate, little bug, radiate.
little glow-worm, turn the key on, you are equipped with tail light neon;
Small insect with a glowing body, turn on your light switch; you have neon in your tail-light.
You got a cute vest-pocket Mazda
You have a small and cute Mazda that can fit in your vest pocket
Which you can make both slow or "Fazda";
Which you can make both slow or fast
I don't know who you took a shine to,
I don't know who you're attracted to
Or who you're out to make a sign to,
Or who you're trying to give a signal to
I got a gal that I love so,
I have a woman that I love deeply
Glow, little glow-worm, glow.
Radiate, little bug, radiate.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stefanschutz5166
Thank you once again from Amsterdam. Knew the Mills Brothers version. This one is new to me. Keep up the good work.
@zwimlil7731
Thank you for the upload !
@the78prof72
Our pleasure!
@Trombonology
Johnny's vocal has always sounded to me as if he was feeling no pain when this performance was committed to wax, but I believe he actually had to have been stone cold sober to have delivered that tricky, wordy lyric with such finesse.
@boigonebad
Were the “Blue Reys” some of the King Sisters?
@jourwalis-8875
Unbelievably good sound quality from 1947, if this is true. But is this really a 45 rpm? Or was it issued on 45 in 1952?
@the78prof72
It was reissued on both 45 and 78 in 1952, but the audio in this post came from a CD.