Glow Worms

Album: Just Another Diamond Day (1970)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Folk-pop singer Vashti Bunyan wrote this love song in the early days of her romance with Robert Lewis in the summer of 1968. After a string of failed singles, including her Mick Jagger/Keith Richards-penned debut, "Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind," Bunyan decided to ditch her recording career. To make matters worse, her father threatened to kick her out unless she got rid of her beloved dog, so she moved into Lewis' makeshift home in the woods behind his art school in southeast London (which inspired the track "Timothy Grub"). When she went back home to collect the rest of her things, she wrote "Glow Worms" about her feelings for Lewis.

    After the police ousted them from their love nest, they decided to travel horse-and-wagon style to the Isle of Skye, where "Sunshine Superman" singer Donovan was inviting artists and musicians to live on his property. Along the way, Bunyan continued writing songs to keep their spirits up, unaware that she was crafting her debut album, Just Another Diamond Day.
  • The album was produced by Joe Boyd, an American producer known for his work with the Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, and Nick Drake. Bunyan heard through mutual friends that Boyd was interested in working with her but she dismissed the idea until she finally met him in the winter of 1968. He convinced the shy singer to turn her travel songs into an album, with guest performers from his roster of musicians - Robin Williamson of the Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention members Simon Nicol and Dave Swarbrick. They entered the Sound Techniques studio in London in the fall of 1969 to record Just Another Diamond Day, which was released in 1970.
  • Once again, Bunyan's career suffered over a lack of promotion, and her debut album was largely ignored. For the next 30 years, she focused on raising her family until a 2000 reissue of the album revived interest in her music. Suddenly, she learned she was a major influence in the alt-folk community and her debut album was a cultural touchstone.

    "I thought it was completely forgotten," she confessed in a 2023 Songfacts Podcast interview. "And then with the reissue, it just unlocked something. I was able to pick up my guitar without it sounding sad to me. I started writing songs again, and I made two more albums. Yes, there was that huge gap of 30 years without any music in it, and then suddenly, a lot of music, a lot of people, a lot of new musical friends that I had never had before."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

80s Music Quiz 1

80s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

MTV, a popular TV theme song and Madonna all show up in this '80s music quiz.

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn YankeesSongwriter Interviews

Revisit the awesome glory of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees: cheesily-acted videos, catchy guitar licks, long hair, and lyrics that are just plain relatable.

Jonathan Cain of Journey

Jonathan Cain of JourneySongwriter Interviews

Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."