There's a Worm at the Bottom of the Garden
Wiggly Woo the worm and Slippery Sue the snail live at the bottom of the garden
Listen
Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden,
And his name is Wiggly Woo.
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden,
And all that he can do
Is wiggle all day
And wiggle all night,
The neighbours say
What a terrible fright!
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden,
And his name is Wiggly Woo.
There's a snail at the bottom of my garden,
And her name is Slippery Sue.
There's a snail at the bottom of my garden,
And all that she can do
Is slither all night
And slither all day,
And when she goes
She's got somewhere to stay.
There's a snail at the bottom of my garden,
And her name is Slippery Sue.
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden,
And his name is Wiggly Woo.
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden,
And all that he can do
Is wiggle all day
And wiggle all night,
The neighbours say
What a terrible, terrible,
Terrible fright!
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden,
And his name is Wiggly,
Wig wig wiggly,
Wig wig wiggly Woo.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"There's a Worm at the Bottom of the Garden" is a cheerful children's song about two garden creatures: Wiggly Woo the worm, who wiggles day and night to the apparent alarm of the neighbours, and Slippery Sue the snail, who slithers about at her own pace but always knows where she is going.
The song has the shape of a cumulative action song, with children encouraged to mime the wriggling and slithering of the two characters. Its origins are uncertain, but it has been popular in British nurseries and playgroups for generations, passed on through oral tradition.
This recording extends the traditional verse with an additional Slippery Sue verse and a final reprise of Wiggly Woo, building the energy towards an extended and spirited finish. The arrangement here is lively and fun, with the repeated refrains giving children plenty of opportunity to join in on the wiggling.
