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.
pieces
Dinosaur Jr. Lyrics
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Seal the crack
No excuse
The pieces move
Grab the wheel and feel the pieces of my love
Wrapped inside me but I wouldn't want to touch
Our love
I can't stay
You won't wait
Meet me there
Of course it's fair
Give me time to find the pieces of my love
Wrapped around me, they're the pieces I can't touch
My love
My love
Can you hold me out?
Can you wave the hand and suddenly there's no more doubt?
Can you make it so?
Can you bring the smile that makes me forget I don't know?
I can't wait
Is it too late?
I'm not sure
I'll take your word
Need some help to gather pieces of my love
Wrapped inside me like you couldn't hurt me much
Our love [Repeat: x4]
The song "Pieces" by Dinosaur Jr. opens with the line "Peel me back, seal the crack", which suggests that the singer is feeling vulnerable and in need of protection. The next line "No excuse, the pieces move" might suggest that the situation is unstable, and that even the slightest flaw or crack could cause everything to fall apart.
The chorus "Grab the wheel and feel the pieces of my love, wrapped inside me but I wouldn't want to touch" sounds conflicted. On the one hand, the singer wants to be loved and wants to feel loved, but on the other hand, they do not want to be hurt or vulnerable. The second part of the chorus suggests that the singer has some barriers set up that they don't want to cross.
The second verse opens with "I can't stay, you won't wait, meet me there, of course it's fair", which suggests that the singer isn't sure if the relationship will be able to survive - they can't stay and their partner is impatient. The chorus repeats with "Give me time to find the pieces of my love, wrapped around me, they're the pieces I can't touch". Here, it seems that the singer is attempting to uncover or discover a deeper part of themselves but is facing some sort of hindrance.
The song's lyrics are open to interpretation, and it is unclear exactly what the "pieces" in the song might represent. It could refer to a person's emotional state, their relationships, or something else entirely. Some theories suggest that the song is about the aftermath of a broken relationship, with the singer trying to put the pieces back together. Others suggest that it is about the process of self-discovery and the difficulties of opening up emotionally.
Line by Line Meaning
Peel me back
Allow me to be vulnerable and reveal my true self
Seal the crack
Fix any issues or problems in our relationship
No excuse
Take responsibility for our actions and behavior
The pieces move
Our relationship is in flux and constantly changing
Grab the wheel and feel the pieces of my love
Take control and experience the emotional complexity of our love
Wrapped inside me but I wouldn't want to touch
Our love is intense and profound, but also scary and overwhelming
I can't stay
I am unable to remain in this relationship
You won't wait
You are not willing to be patient and understanding
Meet me there
Let's come to a compromise and meet in the middle
Of course it's fair
We should be reasonable and just in our decisions
Give me time to find the pieces of my love
I need time to sort through my emotions and feelings about our relationship
Wrapped around me, they're the pieces I can't touch
My emotions are so overwhelming that I cannot even comprehend them
Can you hold me out?
Can you support me and keep me from falling apart?
Can you wave the hand and suddenly there's no more doubt?
Can you provide clarity and reassurance in our relationship?
Can you make it so?
Can you help fix our relationship and make it work?
Can you bring the smile that makes me forget I don't know?
Can you bring joy and happiness back into our relationship, so that I forget my doubts and fears?
I can't wait
I am unable to delay any longer
Is it too late?
Has too much damage been done in our relationship?
I'm not sure
I am uncertain about the state of our relationship
I'll take your word
I will trust your judgement and rely on you to guide us
Need some help to gather pieces of my love
I require assistance in piecing together my emotions and feelings
Wrapped inside me like you couldn't hurt me much
My emotions are so intense that they protect me from being hurt by others
Our love (x4)
Our relationship has its ups and downs, but we will continue to work on it and stay together
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOSEPH DONALD MASCIS JR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind