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 (As Direct Resu
Will Wood and the Tapeworms Lyrics
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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
All 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
And 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? And if not, then what is?
Never, never, never
Oh 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
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
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!
Somebody to replace yourself! Somebody to replace yourself!
Somebody to replace yourself! Somebody to replace yourself!
Hey!
The lyrics to this song are about the struggle of self-acceptance and the desire to replace oneself with someone else. The title of the song refers to Capgras syndrome, a rare disorder in which a person believes that their loved ones have been replaced by identical imposters. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who feels disconnected from their own identity, carving out a "fact from a reckoning" and "remedies or enemies to mitigate your memories." They are haunted by the idea of other people who have the same memories and experiences, and may even have created alternate identities for themselves.
The repetition of the phrase "You're trying to replace yourself" emphasizes the longing for escape from the self and reminds the listener that the singer is not happy in their own skin. The last verse seems to address society's pressure to conform to certain ideals and the impossibility of finding someone to replace oneself.
Overall, the song is a dark exploration of identity and the struggle to find oneself, set to an intense and driving musical backdrop.
Line by Line Meaning
You're trying to replace yourself
You're attempting to be someone other than who you really are
Carving out a fact from a reckoning
Extracting truth from a difficult situation
Beckoning you back, skin sagging off its skeleton
Aging and the physical changes it brings
Levitating off the ground is another man wearing your face
Feeling disconnected from who you are
All the other false identities, remedies or enemies to mitigate your memories
The different ways people cope with their past experiences
Shuddered at what they found when they stripped away the grace
Revealing the unpleasant aspects of oneself when in a vulnerable state
Eulogy or biography, I'm who I oughtta be, and that is God to me
I am who I should be, and that's what matters most to me
So, my God, what's wrong with me? If who I wanna be might be
Questioning oneself and their desires
You'll never take me alive, baby. You'll never take me alive
I won't change who I am, even if it leads to my death
Damn, I thought you're not your imposter
Realizing that someone may not be who they seem
You'll never take me, and no you're never gon' find
I won't let anyone control me or change who I am
What you feel and what you do / Are those things really you? And if not, then what is?
Questioning the authenticity of one's feelings and actions
Hey!
Exclamation of emotion or emphasis
Writer(s): William Joseph Colligan
Contributed by Charlotte Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.