Sometimes songs just write and arrange themselves. Earthworms is a good examples of this. The song was born during a rehearsal one evening. Neil Richardson began playing a bass line, the recognizable line which begins the song. The rest of us, as if rehearsed spontaneously started playing parts. Aaron with his driving back beat and open splashy hi hats while Larry and Alex started playing the feel on guitar and piano. Then, as if planned, the entire quartet dropped in volume as Alex and Larry began singing in harmony. At the same time Aaron stopped playing his ride and settled into the groove of the verse. The vocal harmonies were written on the spot and much of the final lyrics were in a very close final form from the draft created from Alex's stream of conciousness approach to song. Since Alex records almost every rehearsal, we were able to listen back and craft the song to align more perfectly with the major theme running through the songs of the album.
In Earthworms, our protagonist has developed a conviction about the need for his inner transformation, the need for his undertaking a disciplined spiritual journey and has understood it to be no small matter. He notices many things around him in the world leading to a potentially apocalyptic ending, “Hell fire in the mother’s breast”, “Lightning in the distance” and “Thunder in the middle sky”. He feels like an “Earthworm in the eagle’s nest” meaning that the challenges facing himself and humanity at large seems overwhelming and unbeatable. He is a tiny person in a vast world. He mentally challenges himself by facetiously saying, “You are listening to me, watching as the whole world dies”. Yet he summons his courage and “Puts one foot in front of the other” he takes his first step.
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