Sam Butera was the saxophonist and leader of Louis Prima's backing band dur… Read Full Bio ↴Sam Butera was the saxophonist and leader of Louis Prima's backing band during their heyday years in Las Vegas. Butera stayed on after Prima's most popular duet partner & wife Keely Smith left and Butera continued to play with him through the 1960's until Prima's death in the mid 1970's. Butera lead an active life and continued to perform regularly in Las Vegas and on tour until age made nightly forays less feasible a few years before his death at age 81 in June of 2009.

Glow Worm
Sam Butera & The Witnesses Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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, 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
Glow little glow-worm, glow

Glow little glow-worm, glow
Glow little glow-worm, glow

Overall Meaning

The song "Glow Worm" by Sam Butera & The Witnesses is a playful ode to that tiny bioluminescent creature that manages to light up the night. The lyrics talk about the glow-worm's ability to guide forlorn wanderers who are in search of love. The song starts by addressing the glow-worm, asking it to shine and lead the way to love. The lyrics highlight the glow-worm’s contribution to illuminating the night and portraying it as a symbol of hope, perseverance, and resilience.

The song then goes on to emphasize the glow-worm's role as a beacon of light in a sea of darkness. The lyrics also pay tribute to the glow-worm's physical attributes, praising its ability to glow and shimmer like a wire of incandescent light. The song expresses admiration for the glow-worm's beauty and purpose, calling it an "aeronautical boll weevil" and asking it to "illuminate yon woods primeval."

Overall, the lyrics of "Glow Worm" are playful and whimsical, but they also pay tribute to the humble glow-worm and its importance in the natural world.

Line by Line Meaning

Shine little glow-worm, glimmer, glimmer
Radiate, little insect, flicker, flicker

Lead us lest too far we wander
Guide us, so we don't stray too far

Love's sweet voice is calling yonder
Love is beckoning from a distance

Hey, there don't get dimmer, dimmer
Hey, don't lose your brightness

Light the path below, above
Illuminate both the ground and the sky

And lead us on to love!
And guide us to where love awaits!

Glow little glow-worm, fly of fire
Radiate, tiny bug made of flame

Glow like an incandescent wire
Radiate like a glowing wire

Glow for the female of the species
Radiate for the ladybugs

Turn on the AC and the DC
Activate both types of electric currents

This night could use a little brightnin'
This night could use a little illumination

Light up you little ol' bug of lightnin'
Illuminate, you tiny creature of electricity

When you gotta glow, you gotta glow
When you need to radiate, you must radiate

Glow little glow-worm, glow
Radiate, little glowing bug, radiate!

Glow little glow-worm, glow and glimmer
Radiate and flicker, little glowing bug

Swim through the sea of night, little swimmer
Navigate through the dark night, little splasher

Thou aeronautical boll weevil
You, flying pest of the crop fields

Illuminate yon woods primeval
Illuminate those ancient woods over there

See how the shadows deep and darken
Witness how the darkness grows and deepens

You and your chick should get to sparkin'
You and your lady should start flirting

I got a gal that I love so
I have a girl that I dearly love

Glow little glow-worm, glow
Radiate, little glowing bug, radiate!

Glow little glow-worm, turn the key on
Radiate, little glowing bug, activate

You are equipped with taillight neon
You possess a neon taillight

You got a cute vest-pocket Mazda
You have a small Mazda that can fit in your pocket

Which you can make both slow and fazda
Which you can make both slow and speedy

I don't know who you took a shine to
I don't know who you are fond of

Or who you're out to make a sign to
Or who you are signaling to

Glow little glow-worm, glow
Radiate, little glowing bug, radiate!

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HEINRICH BOLTEN BAECKERS, PAUL LINCKE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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