Released: 2013
Queens of the Stone Age have a knack for crafting songs that slither under your skin, blending gritty riffs with lyrics that delve deep into the psyche. “If I Had a Tail” from their album …Like Clockwork is no exception, serving up a heaping plate of existential musings wrapped in a catchy, gritty rock melody. At its core, this track is a dark, tongue-in-cheek exploration of human desires, freedom, and the animalistic side of human nature, juxtaposed with a critique of modern society’s empty pursuits.
The opening lines “Gitchy, gitchy, ooh la-la / Do run-run, you won’t get far” immediately draw listeners into a world that’s both enchanting and slightly off-kilter, hinting at the futility of trying to escape certain truths. When Josh Homme sings about being “machine, obsolete” in a “land of the free lobotomy”, he’s hammering down on the dehumanization and mind-numbing effects of modern life. The reference to “the land of the free” typically evokes America, suggesting a critique of the American Dream’s hollowness in the modern era.
The chorus, “If I had a tail, I’d own the night”, uses the metaphor of having a tail to represent gaining an animalistic power or freedom. In the world QOTSA paints, primal instincts grant a sense of control or dominion over the stifling, artificial constructs of society. This is reinforced with the lines “If I had a tail, I’d swat the flies”, symbolizing a desire to fend off nuisances or perhaps the petty concerns and superficial annoyances of daily, materialistic life.
Homme doesn’t hold back in his critique of consumer culture either, with mentions of “Brainwashed or true believers / Buy flash cars, diamond rings / Expensive holes to bury things”. Here, he’s skewering the idea that wealth and possessions are the ultimate achievements in life, suggesting they’re merely holes to bury our true desires and selves.
The repetition of “If I had a tail, I will control the night” towards the song’s conclusion doesn’t just underscore the longing for freedom; it turns almost anthemic, a rallying cry for reclaiming one’s power from the clutches of societal expectations and norms. The collective “When we have a tail, we will control” hints at a communal breaking free, a shared liberation from the constraints that bind us.
In “If I Had a Tail”, Queens of the Stone Age masterfully weave together themes of desire, freedom, and critique of consumer culture with their signature desert rock sound. The song is a paradoxical dance on the scars left by our pursuit of meaning in a material world, urging listeners to find their own tails with which to own the night.
