John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (18 November 1909 – 25 June 1976) is regarded … Read Full Bio ↴John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (18 November 1909 – 25 June 1976) is regarded as one of America's greatest songwriters. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others. From the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s, many of the songs Mercer wrote and performed were among the most popular hits of the time. He wrote the lyrics to more than fifteen hundred songs, including compositions for movies and Broadway shows. He received nineteen Academy Award nominations, and won four. Mercer was also a co-founder of Capitol Records.

Glow Worm
Johnny Mercer Lyrics

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Shine little glow-worm, glimmer, glimmer
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

Overall Meaning

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

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

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