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.
This Is All I Came to Do
Dinosaur Jr. Lyrics
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Take my my mind as well
I been trying long, got nothing left
It's down to you as you can tell
And it bothers me, all of the while
And I needed more than had time
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
I need much more than I had before
Give me my my mind as well
I been waiting here got nothing drawn
I been lonely you can tell
And I wanted to end the day
And I wanted love to get in the way
I pray I get it
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
Hate to say it but you told me so
I tricked my my mind its true
And I thought hard about all I could be
Please just tell me what to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
This is all I came to do
The lyrics of Dinosaur Jr.'s song "This Is All I Came to Do" seem to express a feeling of resignation and desperation. The singer seems to be asking someone to take away their problems and their mind, implying that they can't think clearly on their own. They've been trying for a long time and have nothing left, and it's now down to the person they're addressing to help them. The singer seems to feel bothered all the time and feels that they need more than just time to fix their problems.
In the second verse, the singer asks for even more than they had before, including their mind. They've been waiting around with nothing to show for it, feeling lonely, and hoping that love will somehow find them. They end up praying to get what they want. In the third verse, the singer admits to being told what to do by someone else, but they seem to have tricked their own mind instead. They thought hard about what they could be, but they seem stuck.
Overall, the lyrics seem to be expressing a sense of helplessness and resignation, but there is also a hint of hope at the end. The singer seems to be asking for guidance, even if it means someone else telling them what to do.
Line by Line Meaning
Take my problems take me anyplace
I need to get away from my problems and any place will do
Take my my mind as well
My mind is troubled and I need someone to take it away
I been trying long, got nothing left
I've been trying for so long to fix my problems but I'm out of energy
It's down to you as you can tell
You're the only one who can help me at this point, it's obvious
And it bothers me, all of the while
The fact that I can't solve my problems is causing me constant pain
And I needed more than had time
I needed more time to deal with my issues but I'm out of it
This is all I came to do
All I want to do is get away from my problems
I need much more than I had before
I need more help than I've received in the past
I been waiting here got nothing drawn
I've been waiting for a solution or answer but haven't received anything
I been lonely you can tell
I've been feeling isolated and alone
And I wanted to end the day
I want the day to end, hoping tomorrow will bring relief
And I wanted love to get in the way
I wish love would distract me from my problems
I pray I get it
I hope I find the love I need to forget about my troubles
Hate to say it but you told me so
I'm disappointed to admit that you were right all along
I tricked my my mind its true
I tried to trick myself into thinking everything is okay, but it's not
And I thought hard about all I could be
I've been thinking about what I could achieve if I didn't have these problems
Please just tell me what to do
I'm desperate for someone to tell me how to fix my problems
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOSEPH DONALD MASCIS JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind