Before the Tapeworms, Will Wood was part of many other smaller projects. Due to him not wanting to be associated with many of these projects, most have been deleted from Spotify.
After entering recovery early in his career, Wood was diagnosed with Bipolar and began treatment. He has since taken a new direction with his work, dedicated to giving back and using his music to raise money for mental health research and inspire others with their own struggles. He leads a reclusive life in Pennsylvania, rejecting social media with the exception of Patreon and Instagram.
His release, “The Normal Album" is his first album following dropping "The Tapeworms" from his moniker. However the album still features Mike Bottiglieri, Mario Conte, Vater Boris, and Matt Berger. "The Normal Album" is his most polarizing, musically diverse, and lyrically dense album yet, explores the concept of normality through various lenses and alternating viewpoints, and features songs in every genre from disco to klezmer.
His last LP “In case I make It,” , where he explored an entirely different style from what he had published in earlier years, was released in 2022. In 2023 he released the live album “IN CASE I DIE”, before taking a hiatus from creating and releasing music which will last indefinitely.
Cotard's Solution
Will Wood and the Tapeworms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would I blow out like a light?
Or like a kite fly away?
What if the fear of darkness gave way to the fear of color?
Would you live in black and white or rest your eyes through the day?
And if dreams can come true
What does that say about nightmares?
Cry my name remind my brain of my identity
I'm not gonna listen, I′m not my volition, I'm
Sha Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Free Will
Am I to blame for riding this train right by my destiny?
Ah, prove I can crack, Ah, loose from track, ah
Sha Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Free Will
Rolling my third eye into the back
Of my head and squinting through the black
Saw no center, saw not where it lead
It's times like this that make me wish that
I wished that I were dead, I don′t wish I were dead
But somebody′s got to go
I wanna make my murder look like a suicide
But they'll all know
They′ll all know
They'll all know that the body′s mine
I wanna go anonymous to identify
But they'll all know
They′ll all know
They'll all know
They'll all know
They′ll all know that the body′s mine
Divide by one and find I'm one less than the one I was
So how many people am I? Now that I keep ′em in my
Sha Na Na Na Na Na memory, Still I
Check in the mirror to see how I look
I look different in different ways
Ah you do the math, ah, who's looking back, ah
Sha Na Na Na Na Na Na Na that′s not me
Carving my initials in the back
Of my hand in case of losing track
I forgot, remember to forgive?
It's times like this that make me wish that-
I wished that I could live. I don′t wish I could live but
Somebody's got to stay
I wanna make my murder look like a suicide
But they'll all know
They′ll all know
They′ll all know that the body's mine
I wanna go anonymous to identify
But they′ll all know
They'll all know
They′ll all know
They'll all know
They′ll all know
Know its mine
And if dreams can come true
What does that say about nightmares?
I'll stay awake tonight
I wanna make my murder look like a suicide (kill me)
But they'll all know (kill me)
They′ll all know (kill me)
They′ll all know that the body's mine (kill me)
I wanna go anonymous to identify (kill me)
But they′ll all know (kill me)
They'll all know (kill me)
They′ll all know (kill me)
They'll all know (kill me)
They′ll all know that the body's mine
The lyrics of Cotard's Solution by Will Wood and the Tapeworms are a haunting depiction of a troubled mind grappling with the fear of losing control over one's identity and existence. The song starts with a contemplation of the unpredictability of change and the possibility of losing oneself to the point of no return. The fear of darkness giving way to the fear of color highlights the inherent uncertainty and anxiety associated with the unknown. The lyrics also ponder the paradoxical nature of dreams and nightmares, making the singer question the very nature of his own reality. The refrain "Sha Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Free Will" emphasizes the struggle between the desire for autonomy and the fear of losing it.
The middle section of the song describes a dissociative experience where the singer feels disconnected from their body and mind. The imagery of rolling the third eye into the back of their head and carving their initials on their hand underscores the struggle to reconcile their inner and outer selves. The lyrics shift to a desire for control and planning one's own death. The repeated urge to "make my murder look like a suicide" highlights the desire for anonymity and control over one's fate. The final repetition of the refrain serves as a haunting reminder of the singer's internal struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
What if the wind caught up with me, started to change when I did
Would I blow out like a light?
Or like a kite fly away?
If my external circumstances change as I do, will it cause me to lose my sense of self and disappear completely or will I fly away from my current situation?
What if the fear of darkness gave way to the fear of color?
Would you live in black and white or rest your eyes through the day?
If the things that scare me change, will I choose to avoid colors in life or will I embrace them to cope?
And if dreams can come true
What does that say about nightmares?
I′ll stay awake tonight.
If both positive and negative outcomes can occur, I'll choose to stay awake and face reality instead of dreaming.
Cry my name remind my brain of my identity
I'm not gonna listen, I′m not my volition, I'm
Sha Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Free Will
Am I to blame for riding this train right by my destiny?
Ah, prove I can crack, Ah, loose from track, ah
Sha Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Free Will
Remind me of who I am, but I won't listen because I'm choosing to exercise my free will. Am I responsible for the direction my life goes or am I predestined to stay on track? Either way, I'll prove that I have the capacity to change and take control of my life.
Rolling my third eye into the back
Of my head and squinting through the black
Saw no center, saw not where it lead
It's times like this that make me wish that
I wished that I were dead, I don′t wish I were dead
But somebody′s got to go
Closing my eyes and looking inward, I saw nothing. I couldn't see the direction of my life. Moments like this make me wish something would change, I don't want to die but I feel like someone needs to leave in order for something to change.
I wanna make my murder look like a suicide
But they'll all know
They′ll all know
They'll all know that the body′s mine
I wanna go anonymous to identify
But they'll all know
They′ll all know
They'll all know
They'll all know
They′ll all know that the body′s mine
I want to take control over how I die and how I'm remembered. I'd rather be anonymous but I know that everyone will recognize me and that the death will be mine.
Divide by one and find I'm one less than the one I was
So how many people am I? Now that I keep ′em in my
Sha Na Na Na Na Na memory, Still I
Check in the mirror to see how I look
I look different in different ways
Ah you do the math, ah, who's looking back, ah
Sha Na Na Na Na Na Na Na that′s not me
Divide by one person (myself) and I'm left with one less person. How many people am I? I keep thinking back to different versions of myself, but when I check the mirror, I see someone different. I can't figure out who's staring back at me, but I know that it's not truly me.
Carving my initials in the back
Of my hand in case of losing track
I forgot, remember to forgive?
It's times like this that make me wish that-
I wished that I could live. I don′t wish I could live but
Somebody's got to stay
Carving my initials in my hand as a reminder of who I am and where I came from. I'm scared that I'll lose track of who I am and forget my past. Will I be able to forgive myself for my mistakes? These kinds of moments make me wish I could live through everything, but I know that someone needs to stay behind and face reality.
I wanna make my murder look like a suicide (kill me)
But they'll all know (kill me)
They′ll all know (kill me)
They'll all know that the body's mine (kill me)
I wanna go anonymous to identify (kill me)
But they'll all know (kill me)
They'll all know (kill me)
They′ll all know (kill me)
They'll all know (kill me)
They′ll all know that the body's mine
I want to take my own life, but make it look like someone else did it. Even if I try to be anonymous, everyone will realize that it was me. I want to disappear, but I can't escape the truth of who I am and what I'm feeling.
Writer(s): Will Wood
Contributed by Mila E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.