Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

"Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" is a novelty song telling the story of a shy girl wearing a revealing polka dot bikini at the beach. It was written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss and first released in June 1960 by Brian Hyland with orchestra conducted by John Dixon.

Hyland's version hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 8, 1960 and also made the top 10 in other countries, including #8 on the UK Singles Chart.

The story told through the three verses of the song is as follows:  the young lady is too afraid to leave the locker where she has changed into her bikini;  she has made it to the beach but sits on the sand wrapped in a blanket; and  she has finally gone into the ocean, but is too afraid to come out, and stays immersed in the water – despite the fact that she's "turning blue" – to hide herself from view.

Trudy Packer recited the phrases "One, two, three, four/Tell the people what she wore", heard at the end of each verse before the chorus; and "Stick around, we'll tell you more", heard after the first chorus and before the start of the second verse.

Brian Hyland

Brian Hyland (born November 12, 1943) is an American pop recording artist who was particularly successful during the early 1960s. He continued recording into the 1970s. Allmusic journalist Jason Ankeny states, "Hyland's puppy-love pop virtually defined the sound and sensibility of bubblegum during the pre-Beatles era." Although his status as a teen idol faded, he went on to release several country-influenced albums and had additional chart hits later in his career.

In August 1960, Hyland scored his first and biggest hit single at the age of 16, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini", written by Vance and Pockriss.

Brian Hyland today

Hyland's other major hit during this period was 1962's "Sealed with a Kiss", which reached #3 in 1962 on both the American and UK Singles Chart. It stayed on the U.S. pop chart for eleven weeks. In 1975, "Sealed With a Kiss" was reissued as a single in the UK and became a surprise #7 hit (the song, revived by Australian Jason Donovan, charted #1 in the UK in 1989). Another 1962 hit was "Ginny Come Lately", which reached #21 on the U.S. chart and #5 in the UK. Hyland 1962 Top 30 hit "Warmed-Over Kisses (Leftover Love)" saw Hyland incorporating elements of country music into his work, which continued with singles including "I May Not Live to See Tomorrow" and "I'm Afraid to Go Home", and on the 1964 album Country Meets Folk. This approach was out of step with the changes brought about by the British Invasion bands, and his commercial success became limited, but he continued in that vein, and had further hits with "The Joker Went Wild" and "Run, Run, Look and See", working with producer Snuff Garrett and session musicians including J. J. Cale and Leon Russell.

Ownership controversy

In September 2006, the song's co-writer Paul Vance read his own mistaken obituary. The obituary was of another man, Paul Van Valkenburgh, who claimed to have written the song under the name Paul Vance. The impostor explained his lack of royalty payments for the song by claiming that he'd sold the rights as a teenager. Vance, the song's true co-author, has earned several million dollars from the song since 1960, describing it as "a money machine."

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini lyrics

 Bop bop bop bop bopopopopopopop

She was afraid to come out of the locker

 She was as nervous as she could be

 She was afraid to come out of the locker

 She was afraid that somebody would see

Two three four tell the people what she wore

It was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

 That she wore for the first time today

 An Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

 So in the locker, she wanted to stay

Two three four stick around we'll tell you more

Bop bop bop bop bopopopopopopop

She was afraid to come out in the open (badadup)

 So a blanket around her she wore (badadup)

 She was afraid to come out in the open (badadup)

 So she sat, bundled up on the shore (badadup)

Two three four tell the people what she wore

It was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

 That she wore for the first time today

 An Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

 So in the blanket, she wanted to stay

Two three four the stick around we'll tell you more

Bop bop bop bop bopopopopopopop

Now she's afraid to come out of the water

 And I wonder what she's gonna do

 Now she's afraid to come out of the water

 And the poor little girl's turning blue

Two thee four tell the people what she wore

It was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

 That she wore for the first time today

 An Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

 So in the water, she wanted to stay

From the Locker to the blanket

 From the blanket to the shore

 From the shore to the water

 Guess there isnt any more