The song contains spoken word portions (as the voice of Tommy the Cat) interspersed with the singing of Les Claypool. In their live performances, Claypool does both parts himself; however, Tom Waits provided the voice of Tommy the Cat on the studio version from Sailing the Seas of Cheese.
Release
Primus released "Tommy the Cat" following their first major label single, "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver". In concert, Claypool started introducing all of their other songs by saying "This next song is not Tommy the Cat", apparently due to the popularity the song had gained after a video was released and played on MTV.[2]
The song was briefly featured in the 1991 film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey during the "Battle of the Bands" portion of the movie, where Primus was shown performing it.
A version called "Butters the Cat" was performed by Primus and Matt Stone at the South Park: 25th Anniversary Concert. [3]
Music video
A black-and-white music video was made featuring live action and animation. Les Claypool is seen as a bartender pouring milk for an elderly man dressed as a cat and a smiling figure. The animation featured a female cat strolling into an alley filled with numerous tomcats while the titular Tommy relays what happened. Interspersed are occasional footage of the band playing the song.
