Dinosaur Jr. is a rock band which formed in 1983 in Amherst, Massachusetts.… Read Full Bio ↴Dinosaur Jr. is a rock band which formed in 1983 in Amherst, Massachusetts. The band was formed by J Mascis (guitar and vocals) and his high school classmate Lou Barlow (bass guitar), following the break-up of their hardcore punk band Deep Wound. Shortly afterwards, Murph (Emmett Patrick Murphy, drums) joined them.

The band was originally called "Dinosaur", but changed its name following the release of its debut album Dinosaur in 1985, after a band called Dinosaurs, featuring ex-members of Country Joe and the Fish and Jefferson Airplane, threatened them with legal action. (They still used the name Dinosaur on their albums until 1987 at the latest, and some copies of You're Living All Over Me still lack the "Jr").

In 1987, Dinosaur Jr. signed to SST Records on the recommendation of Sonic Youth, and with them released what is often considered their best album, You're Living All Over Me. Bug followed the next year, an album which, in the UK, was released by Paul Smith's Blast First Records (home to Sonic Youth, Big Black and Butthole Surfers). During this period Dinosaur Jr. became known for their very loud concerts.

Despite not gaining much commercial success, the band has enjoyed something of a cult following. The success of singles Freak Scene and Just Like Heaven, and recommendations from the likes of Sonic Youth saw them signed by Warner Brothers. The signature Dinosaur Jr. sound is the melodic tunes saturated in layers of guitar noise and punctuated by J Mascis' elaborate, yet laconic guitar solos. They were a major influence on the up-and-coming band Nirvana.

Tensions ran high between Mascis and Barlow, and in 1989 Barlow was kicked out of the band. As a result, Barlow continued to work with his own band, Sebadoh. The two famously fell out on stage with Mascis attacking Barlow. Dinosaur Jr. subsequently became little more than a pseudonym for Mascis. He switched labels to Blanco y Negro in the UK, Warner/Sire in the US, with Green Mind (1991) being his first release in that deal.

After Barlow left the band, Van Conner, from the Screaming Trees, played bass for at least one live show in 1990, and Donna Dresch, from Team Dresch played bass at least once live with the band in 1990.

In 1991, Mike Johnson joined Dinosaur Jr as full-time bass player. He was in the band for 1991's Whatever's Cool With Me, 1993's Where You Been, 1994's Without A Sound, and 1997's Hand It Over.

Murph left the band in late 1993, after the Lollapalooza tour.

George Berz took over on drums, and drummed from 1994-1997. He was on Without A Sound, and Hand It Over. He later drummed for J Mascis + the Fog in 2000, 2001, and 2003.

Through the 90s, Mascis sometimes explored quieter and more tranquil shores than Dinosaur Jr. had in the 80s. The band formed part of the 1992 "Rollercoaster" tour. A package tour based on the successful "Lollapalooza". The tour featured The Jesus & Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine & Blur. On the 1993 release, Where You Been, the opening track ("Out There") had an accompanying video and was aired on MTV for a short time. After 1994's Without a Sound and 1997's Hand It Over, Mascis began to release albums with the band J Mascis and the Fog.

In 2004, J Mascis regained the master rights to the first three Dinosaur Jr. albums from SST, and arranged for their reissue on the Merge label in early 2005. The reissues coincided with an announcement that the original lineup of J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph (Emmett Patrick Murphy) were reuniting for a summer tour. The success of this tour resulted in a new album entitled Beyond (2007) and single Been There All The Time. They are Lou Barlow's first recording with the band since 1989. The original line-up of Dinosaur Jr. has been touring extensively since 2005. They are currently on a world tour.

On February 20, 2009, Pitchfork Media announced that the band had signed with indie label Jagjaguwar, and their first release on the label entitled Farm was released June 23, 2009, to largely positive reviews.

Gotta know
Dinosaur Jr. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I (looked) all around
Open my eyes I found
You crying, crying on the ground
If I told you then
Now, were you listening?
Now just tell me where, can't pretend

Slippin' through my mind

Letting go this time
Will I find you?
It's a special place
It's been hard to taste
If you let me, it won't go to waste
If I let you go, will I ever know
Cause I gotta know, gotta know

You've been through my mind
Letting go this time
Need to find

When I helped you close
Felt my mind explode
At that point, that point my whole life froze
Can't go back from here
Feelings far from fear
It's over, take my hand, we'll disappear

I looked all around
Open my eyes I found
You crying, crying on the ground
If I told you then
Were you listening?
Now just tell me where, I can't pretend
It's a special place
It's been hard to taste
If you met me, It won't go to waste
If I let you go, will I ever know?
Cause I gotta know, gotta know
We've been through my mind

Not letting go this time
Still not fine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dinosaur Jr.'s song Gotta Know are open to interpretation, but it seems to be about a relationship that has gone sour. The singer seems to be trying to reconnect with his partner, or at least gain some understanding of what went wrong. He paints a picture of finding his partner on the ground, crying, and it's uncertain whether or not she heard him when he tried to talk to her. He's struggling with the idea of letting her go, wondering if he'll regret it later, but at the same time, he seems to know that letting go might be the best thing for both of them. In one of the most poignant lines in the song, he says "when I helped you close, felt my mind explode... my whole life froze," suggesting that something went terribly wrong in their relationship, and he's still trying to make sense of it.

The chorus, "gotta know, gotta know," is a plea to his partner to be honest with him, to help him understand what's really going on. He's searching for closure, hoping that she'll have the answers he needs to move on. Throughout the song, there's a sense of urgency, as if time is running out, and the singer is desperately trying to get through to his partner before it's too late.

Overall, Gotta Know is a powerful, emotional song about love, loss, and the search for understanding. It's a testament to Dinosaur Jr.'s ability to write deeply personal lyrics that resonate with listeners on a profound level.

Line by Line Meaning

I (looked) all around
I searched everywhere

Open my eyes I found
After searching, I finally found

You crying, crying on the ground
I discovered you in a vulnerable state

If I told you then
If I had opened up previously

Now, were you listening?
Did you comprehend my words when I spoke before?

Now just tell me where, can't pretend
Just be honest about your whereabouts, don't lie

Slippin' through my mind
Fading from my memory

Letting go this time
I'm releasing the thought from my mind

Will I find you?
Will I locate and reconnect with you?

It's a special place
A place that holds significant meaning

It's been hard to taste
Difficult to experience or enjoy