Will Wood stumbled into the spotlight in 2015, and immediately began attrac… Read Full Bio ↴Will Wood stumbled into the spotlight in 2015, and immediately began attracting attention and controversy with his indecipherable and provocative public persona and varying performance styles. Joined by his band The Tapeworms, Wood confused and excited audiences and press with his genre-defying musical style, uniquely clever and emotional lyricism, tongue-in-cheek attitude, and eccentric public appearances. Not long after, he began to develop a worldwide cult following and garner intensely polarized reviews that have only further obfuscated his constantly-shifting image and vision.

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.

Mr. Capgras Encounters a Secondhand Vanity: Tulpamancer's Prosopagnosia/Pareidolia
Will Wood and the Tapeworms Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You're trying to replace yourself
You're trying to replace yourself, you're trying to replace yourself
You're trying to replace yourself, you're trying to replace yourself
You're trying to replace yourself, you're trying to replace yourself
You're trying to replace yourself, you're trying to replace yourself

Carving out a fact from a reckoning, beckoning you back, skin sagging off its skeleton
Levitating off the ground is another man wearing your face

cll the other false identities, remedies or enemies to mitigate your memories
Shuddered at what they found when they stripped away the grace

Eulogy or biography, I'm who I oughtta be, and that is God to me
(never never never)
So, my God, what's wrong with me? If who I wanna be might be
Never Never Never. Never Never Never. Never Never Never. No, never.

You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
You'll never take me, you'll never take me, you better pray that I die
You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
You'll never take me, you'll never take me, and no, you're never gon' find

Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself
Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself

Damn, I thought you're not your imposter. You're so sure you're not gonna get caught
Dead in your own skin, but you didn't choose what you were born in
cnd another man in your repertoire, ready in your head and fed upon your memoirs
Still the same rules apply from the birthday to the mourning

What you feel and what you do; are those things really you? cnd if not, then what is?
(never never never)
So, my God, what's wrong with you? cnd I'm still asking who that is
Never Never Never. Never Never Never. Never Never Never. No, never.

You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
You'll never take me, you'll never take me, you better pray that I die
You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
You'll never take me, you'll never take me, and no, you're never gon' find

Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself
Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself

You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
(This is not enough! This is not enough to prove it yet)
You'll never take me, you'll never take me, you better pray that I die
(No, I need to hit the bottom)
You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
(This is not enough! This is not enough to prove it yet)
You'll never take me, you'll never take me, you better pray that I die
(No, I need to hit the bottom)

Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself
Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself

Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself
Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Mr. Capgras Encounters a Secondhand Vanity: Tulpamancer's Prosopagnosia / Pareidolia" by Will Wood and the Tapeworms explore themes of identity, self-replacement, and the search for authenticity. The song delves into the concept of losing oneself and the struggle to find one's true identity.

The repeated line "You're trying to replace yourself" reflects the singer's desire to escape their current identity and become someone else entirely. They feel disillusioned with who they are and are seeking a replacement to fill that void. The mention of "carving out a fact from a reckoning" suggests that the singer is attempting to find their true self amidst a chaotic and uncertain reality. They envision another person wearing their face, symbolizing the internal conflict between their true identity and the personas they have adopted.

The lyrics also touch on the idea of false identities, remedies, and enemies that the singer has used to cope with their memories and past experiences. They feel apprehensive about these constructed versions of themselves, wanting to move away from them and discover their authentic self. The references to "eulogy or biography" and being "who I oughtta be" indicate their desire for self-acceptance and contentment.

The line "You'll never take me alive" expresses their determination to resist being confined or controlled by societal expectations. They defy the notion of being captured or confined within their current identity and reject the idea that they can be easily replaced. The repeated plea to "pray that I die" shows their desperation to break free from their current state and find a fresh start.

Overall, the lyrics portray a struggle with self-identity and the yearning to find one's true self amidst a labyrinth of constructed identities and facades.

Line by Line Meaning

You're trying to replace yourself
You are attempting to find a substitute for your own identity

Carving out a fact from a reckoning, beckoning you back, skin sagging off its skeleton
Trying to find the truth amidst confusion, calling you back to reality as your appearance deteriorates

Levitating off the ground is another man wearing your face
Floating above the ground is another person who looks like you

All the other false identities, remedies or enemies to mitigate your memories
Various false personas, solutions, or adversaries used to lessen the impact of your memories

Shuddered at what they found when they stripped away the grace
Frightened by what they discovered when they removed the facade of charm

Eulogy or biography, I'm who I oughtta be, and that is God to me (never never never)
Whether in death or in life's story, I am who I should be, and I consider myself extraordinary (never never never)

So, my God, what's wrong with me? If who I wanna be might be Never Never Never. Never Never Never. Never Never Never. No, never.
Therefore, my God, what is the problem with me? If the person I aspire to become might not exist. Never Never Never. Never Never Never. Never Never Never. No, never.

You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
You will never capture me while I'm still alive

You'll never take me, you'll never take me, you better pray that I die
You will never apprehend me, and you should hope for my demise

Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself
Someone to fill your shoes, someone to take over your role

Damn, I thought you're not your imposter. You're so sure you're not gonna get caught
Damn, I believed you weren't pretending to be someone else. You are confident you won't face consequences

Dead in your own skin, but you didn't choose what you were born in
Trapped within your own body, but you did not have control over its composition

And another man in your repertoire, ready in your head and fed upon your memoirs
Another man exists within your collection of personas, prepared in your mind and influenced by your memories

Still the same rules apply from the birthday to the mourning
However, the same principles remain applicable from birth to death

What you feel and what you do; are those things really you? And if not, then what is? (never never never)
Are your emotions and actions truly originating from you? And if not, what defines your true self? (never never never)

So, my God, what's wrong with you? And I'm still asking who that is Never Never Never. Never Never Never. Never Never Never. No, never.
Therefore, my God, what is the issue with you? And I continue to question your identity. Never Never Never. Never Never Never. Never Never Never. No, never.

You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
You will never apprehend me while I'm still alive

You'll never take me, you'll never take me, you better pray that I die
You will never capture me, and you should hope for my demise

You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
You will never apprehend me while I'm still alive

You'll never take me, you'll never take me, and no, you're never gon' find
You will never capture me, and no, you will never discover my whereabouts

Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself
Someone to fill your shoes, someone to take over your role

You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive (This is not enough! This is not enough to prove it yet)
You will never apprehend me while I'm still alive (This is not sufficient! This is not sufficient evidence to confirm it yet)

You'll never take me, you'll never take me, you better pray that I die (No, I need to hit the bottom)
You will never capture me, and you should hope for my demise (No, I need to reach the lowest point)

Somebody to replace yourself, Somebody to replace yourself
Someone to fill your shoes, someone to take over your role