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.

I Got Lost
Dinosaur Jr. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And I know the way I feel it
All the way, all the way now
Feels the same to me but I'm kneeling
I haven't called, I haven't called now

And I know the way [Incomprehensible]
It's been done, it's been done now
I got lost [Incomprehensible] feeling

Call me back, call me back now

And I have a place, can I keep it?
For a while, for a while now
I got lost [Incomprehensible] I'm kneeling
Call me back, call me back now

All the way, all the way now
Can we be the same again?
Can we be the same again?

Can we be the same again?
Can we be the same now?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dinosaur Jr.'s song "I Got Lost" are a reflection of feeling lost and disconnected from someone or something. The opening lines suggest that the singer is struggling to understand their own emotions, as they state "and I know the way I feel it, all the way now, feels the same to me but I'm kneeling". This suggests that the singer is aware of their feelings, but feels powerless to control them or express them to others. The following lines suggest that there may be a specific person or situation that the singer is struggling with, as they admit that they haven't called and seem to be waiting for a response.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of loss and the desire to regain a connection with someone or something. The singer repeatedly asks if it's possible to go back to the way things were before, suggesting that there may have been a falling out or a loss of intimacy that they are struggling to come to terms with. The final line of the chorus, "can we be the same now?", reinforces the sense of uncertainty and loss that pervades the song.

Overall, "I Got Lost" is a powerful statement about the difficulty of navigating our emotions and relationships with others. It speaks to the universal experience of feeling disconnected and unsure of ourselves, even as we seek to find a way back to a place of harmony and understanding.

Line by Line Meaning

And I know the way I feel it
I am aware of how I feel

All the way, all the way now
Completely and at the present moment

Feels the same to me but I'm kneeling
Despite feeling the same way, I am humbled

I haven't called, I haven't called now
I have not yet made contact

And I know the way [Incomprehensible]
I am still aware of how I feel despite not being able to express it

It's been done, it's been done now
Something has happened, it is now in the past

I got lost [Incomprehensible] feeling
I became distracted and lost sight of my emotions

Call me back, call me back now
Please reach out to me soon

And I have a place, can I keep it?
I have something important to me, can I hold onto it?

For a while, for a while now
I hope to keep it for an extended period of time

I got lost [Incomprehensible] I'm kneeling
I lost my way and now I am humble