Dinosaur | 3BOPS

1. Manchester Orchestra, “Dinosaur”

💿 The Million Masks of God • 🏷 Loma Vista • 📅 2021

🎵 “Dinosaur” is a personal favorite from 💿 The Million Masks of God, the sixth studio album by Georgia alternative rock collective, 🎙 Manchester Orchestra. On “Dinosaur,” Manchester Orchestra begins rather enigmatic, opting for restraint and poise as opposed to full-blown, ‘hits your chest’ rock.  No worries though, because the record eventually reaches an epic fever pitch, with front man 🎙 Andy Hull digging deep for his grittiest vocals of the album on the bridge (“Over and over”).

Besides the gargantuan bridge, the chorus is quite delightful, continuing the reflective, thought-provoking vibes of the other cuts that precede it.  Oh, and by the way, the chorus is reprised from “Keel Timing.” Very interesting! According to an interview with Bernard Zuel, “Dinosaur” was written about Hull’s son.

2. Alice in Chains, “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here”

💿 The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2013

Ah, 🎵 “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” – what a damn title, right? The menacing cut appears on the 2013 🎙 Alice in Chains album, also titled, 💿 The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. Exotic scalar passages help to construct the unique sound of the cut, which contrasts the songs that precede. The chorus is heavy, with lyrics match the weight.

“The devil put dinosaurs here
Jesus don’t like a queer
The devil put dinosaurs here
No problem with faith just fear...”

As you’d expect, the “Jesus don’t like a queer” lyric is controversial. Despite being just shy of seven minutes, “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” is one of the best songs on the album, as well as a bright spot in the AIC catalog.  ROAR!

3. Kesha, “Dinosaur”

💿 Animal • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2010

“D-I-N-O-S-A / U-R a dinosaur.” OMG… Before 🎙 Kesha would mature into a more gifted pop artist, she had her ‘$’ 💿 Animal phase.  On her 2010 debut album, she definitely shut down “An O-L-D-M-A-N” who was hitting on her, or something like that.  This 🎛 Max Martin and 🎛 Shellback produced record is tongue-n-cheek and incredibly O-V-E-R T-H-E T-O-P! I mean, did Kesha really need to spell things out the way that she does?

As you’d expect, Kesha tells the ‘dinosaur’ to “Get back to the museum.” On the second verse, she truly insults him, informing him senior citizen status is near, he’ll “Strut around with that sexy tank of oxygen,” and of course, “Get up and go bro, oh wait, your fossilized, ha!” Hot mess! Oh, and for good measure, we get more dino references post-chorus:

“Hey dinosaur, baby, you’re prehistoric
Hey dinosaur, that’s what you are, ha!
Hey carnivore, you want my meat, I know it
Hey dinosaur, that’s what you are, ha!”