Polka Dot Tail

"Polka Dot Tail" is a song by Ween from the 1997 album The Mollusk.

Song Details

Recording and Composition

"Polka Dot Tail" was recorded at Claude Coleman's house. It is thought that the guitar solos are played by guest musician Bill Fowler, who is also the "Billy" referred to in the song's lyrics. The lead vocals are sung by Gene Ween.

The lyric "Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail?" is taken from the Raffi version of the traditional children's song "Down by the Bay". Dean Ween has called "Polka Dot Tail" "a straight-up children's tune".

Live Performances

Ween informally debuted "Polka Dot Tail" with the Jimmy Wilson Group in the summer of 1996, nearly a year before the release of The Mollusk. For years, the song remained only an occasional inclusion in live sets. However, Gene Ween began playing the song numerous times at solo-acoustic shows in the few years before the Ween hiatus. Following the 2016 reunion, Ween has played "Polka Dot Tail" more frequently.

Lyrics

Official lyrics were printed in the liner notes for The Mollusk album:

Have you ever seen a whale
With a polka dot tail?
Have you ever seen a man
With eight fingers on his hand?
Did you have to dry your eye
When you saw that puppy fly?
Oh no, tell me it ain't so

Have you ever tried to shrink
Like an ice cube in the sink?
Have you ever tried to see
What lies hidden in the tree?
Have you ever made a flan
And squished it in your hand?
Oh no, tell me it ain't so

Song Themes

Band Members Named in the Song, Sung by Gene Ween