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.
White Knuckle Jerk
Will Wood and the Tapeworms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I’ll be her burn victim- hypothermic- so damn hot
Come to smiling like I blacked out in Glasgow
I woke up in the name that I wore last night to the sound of an empty bed
And it’s ringing in my ears just like sweet nothings from the voices in my head
Where do you get off being so God damn beautiful?
Oh lord. Don’t ask me what I mean
Oh lord
She’s got the touch of an anesthesiologist- please put me under
Because I tremble with the notion that there’s something unsaid
But numb my head I’ll mumble reticently I wonder how I
I woke up in the middle of my surgery and I watched them botch my heart
Only the second worst thing that I could’ve thought was
“This won’t have to end if it doesn’t start.â€
I’ll never know. I’ll never know. I’ll never know. I’ll never know what it’s like
What it’s like to love you
I’ll never know. I’ll never know. I’ll never know. I’ll never know what it’s like
What it’s like to love you
Where do you get off being so God damn beautiful?
Oh lord. Heart blue-er than my balls
Where do you get off being so God damn beautiful?
Oh lord. Just say that it’s on me
The lyrics to Will Wood and the Tapeworms' song White Knuckle Jerk are a vivid description of a twisted relationship, where the singer seems to be trapped in a cycle of infatuation, obsession, and self-destruction. The woman he desires is portrayed as a manipulative, dangerous figure, with "the eyes of a snake" and the ability to "raise stakes from a cash cow." Yet, despite her destructive power, the singer is unable to resist her charms, as he describes himself as a "burn victim- hypothermic- so damn hot" and longs for her touch "like an anesthesiologist" numbing his pain.
The song uses surreal imagery, such as waking up with a new name after blacking out in Glasgow, or watching his own heart being botched during surgery, to convey the singer's sense of being lost, confused, and trapped. He seems to be aware of the absurdity of his situation, asking, "Where do you get off being so God damn beautiful? Oh lord. Don't ask me what I mean." However, he is unable to break free from the cycle, as he acknowledges, "I'll never know what it's like to love you."
Overall, White Knuckle Jerk is a disturbing yet compelling exploration of the dark side of desire and the ways in which it can consume and distort a person's sense of self.
Line by Line Meaning
She’s got the eyes of a snake- loaded dice- raising stakes from a cash cow
She has deceitful and cunning qualities, like that of a snake, and is taking advantage of an opportunity, similar to loaded dice, to increase profits from something lucrative.
I’ll be her burn victim- Hypothermic- so damn hot
I will be willingly hurt and harmed by her, even though it will make me cold and numb, as she is so seductive and attractive.
Come to smiling like I blacked out in Glasgow
I am happy in the moment, but I don't quite remember what happened to get here and it may not be a good thing.
I woke up in the name that I wore last night to the sound of an empty bed
I woke up alone, feeling ashamed of who I pretended to be last night.
And it’s ringing in my ears just like sweet nothings from the voices in my head
My thoughts and regrets are haunting me, just like sweet whispers that tease me.
Where do you get off being so God damn beautiful?
Oh lord. Don’t ask me what I mean
Where do you get off being so God damn beautiful?
Oh lord
I can't explain why she is so beautiful, and it is frustrating me to the point of questioning a higher power.
She’s got the touch of an anesthesiologist- please put me under
Because I tremble with the notion that there’s something unsaid
But numb my head I’ll mumble reticently I wonder how I
I woke up in the middle of my surgery and I watched them botch my heart
Only the second worst thing that I could’ve thought was
'This won’t have to end if it doesn’t start.'
I am so scared of what she might say that I want to be sedated, and even if I am hurt, it's not as bad as the feeling of not knowing. I had a metaphorical surgical operation to remove my feelings for her, but watched it fail, and even then, I held on to false hope.
I’ll never know. I’ll never know. I’ll never know. I’ll never know what it’s like
What it’s like to love you
I’ll never know. I’ll never know. I’ll never know. I’ll never know what it’s like
What it’s like to love you
I will never truly know what it is like to love her, even though I might pretend to. It is something that will always remain a mystery.
Where do you get off being so God damn beautiful?
Oh lord. Heart blue-er than my balls
Where do you get off being so God damn beautiful?
Oh lord. Just say that it’s on me
I still can't understand why she is so beautiful, and my heart aches with longing. It's like blue balls, but for my heart. Even then, I will take responsibility for my own attraction to her.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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