Produced by Don Was and D… Read Full Bio ↴Written by David Was, Don Was and Randy Jacobs
Produced by Don Was and David Was
Additional production and final mix by Paul Staveley O’Duffy
Lead vocal by Sweet Pea Atkinson and Sir Harry Bowens
Walk The Dinosaur
Was (Not Was) Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Boom boom acka-lacka boom boom
It was a night like this forty million years ago
I lit a cigarette, picked up a monkey skull to go
The sun was spitting fire, the sky was blue as ice
I felt a little tired, so I watched Miami Vice
And walked the dinosaur, I walked the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
I met you in a cave, you were painting buffalo
I said I'd be your slave, follow wherever you go
That night we split a rattlesnake and danced beneath the stars
You fell asleep, I stayed awake and watched the passing cars
And walked the dinosaur, I walked the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
One night I dreamed of New York
You and I roasting blue pork
In the Statue of Liberty's torch
Elvis landed in a rocket ship
Healed a couple of leapers and disappeared
But where was his beard?
A shadow from the sky much too big to be a bird
A screaming crashing noise louder than I've ever heard
It looked like two big silver trees that somehow learned to soar
Suddenly a summer breeze and a mighty lion's roar
I killed the dinosaur, I killed the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody kill the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody kill the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody kill the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody kill the dinosaur
Repeat chorus 2 one time
Boom boom acka-lacka lacka boom
Boom boom acka-lacka boom boom
"Walk the Dinosaur" by Was (Not Was) is a fun and funky song that tells a story about a caveman who takes a girl out for a groovy time. The song's opening lines, "Boom boom acka-lacka lacka boom / Boom boom acka-lacka boom boom," create a catchy, upbeat rhythm that continues throughout the entire track. The lyrics describe a wild adventure back in prehistoric times when the world was a very different place. The main character recalls a night spent watching Miami Vice and hanging out with a dinosaur. He also tells the story of how he met a girl while painting buffalo in a cave and the night they spent together beneath the stars.
The chorus, "Open the door, get on the floor / Everybody walk the dinosaur," is a fun and energetic call to action that encourages listeners to dance and have fun. The repetition of the phrase, "Walk the dinosaur," throughout the song reinforces the playful nature of the track and encourages listeners to let loose and enjoy themselves. The lyrics also include references to some pop culture icons, such as Elvis and the Statue of Liberty, that add an extra layer of humor and frivolity to the song.
Overall, "Walk the Dinosaur" is a lively and entertaining song that captures the spirit of carefree fun and encourages listeners to let go of their inhibitions and get down on the dance floor.
Line by Line Meaning
Boom boom acka-lacka lacka boom
A sound-effect indicating something explosive or exciting is happening
Boom boom acka-lacka boom boom
Reiteration of previous line
It was a night like this forty million years ago
Introducing a story about a distant time in the past
I lit a cigarette, picked up a monkey skull to go
Setting the scene with a specific detail that suggests a primitive or wild environment
The sun was spitting fire, the sky was blue as ice
Describing a dramatic and unusual natural setting
I felt a little tired, so I watched Miami Vice
Humorous contrast between contemporary television and ancient setting
And walked the dinosaur, I walked the dinosaur
Repetition of chorus, suggesting a simple and fun activity
Open the door, get on the floor
Direction to participate in an activity
Everybody walk the dinosaur
Encouragement to follow a simple and fun activity
I met you in a cave, you were painting buffalo
Continuing story with a romantic and artistic detail
I said I'd be your slave, follow wherever you go
Expressing loyalty and devotion to a loved one
That night we split a rattlesnake and danced beneath the stars
Evoking a romantic and wild moment in a desolate place
You fell asleep, I stayed awake and watched the passing cars
Suggesting a contrast between the natural and human-made worlds
And walked the dinosaur, I walked the dinosaur
Repetition of chorus, suggesting a simple and fun activity
One night I dreamed of New York
Introducing a surreal moment in the story
You and I roasting blue pork
Suggesting a playful and absurd image
In the Statue of Liberty's torch
Placing the action in a well-known landmark
Elvis landed in a rocket ship
Adding a surprising and humorous detail
Healed a couple of leapers and disappeared
Adding a surreal and fantastical element
But where was his beard?
Adding a humorous detail and suggesting absurdity
A shadow from the sky much too big to be a bird
Describing a mysterious and ominous phenomenon
A screaming crashing noise louder than I've ever heard
Adding intensity and urgency to the situation
It looked like two big silver trees that somehow learned to soar
Suggesting a unique and inexplicable form of flying object
Suddenly a summer breeze and a mighty lion's roar
Adding a surprising and spectacular effect to the scene
I killed the dinosaur, I killed the dinosaur
Reversal of the previous chorus, suggesting a moment of triumph or success
Open the door, get on the floor
Direction to participate in an activity
Everybody kill the dinosaur
Encouragement to follow a simple and fun activity
Repeat chorus 2 one time
Direction to repeat the previous chorus
Boom boom acka-lacka lacka boom
A sound-effect indicating something explosive or exciting is happening
Boom boom acka-lacka boom boom
Reiteration of previous line
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: David Jay Weiss, Donald E. Fagenson, Randall Keith Jacobs
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Joxn041690
This song will always hold a special sentimental place in my heart.
When I was younger, I can’t remember how young, I remember that my father would come home from business trips and he would be so exhausted.
He would plop right down in his lazy boy and start falling asleep immediately.
I begged him to dance with me and even though he was dead tired he would smile and get up with me to dance.
That was years ago.
He is sadly passed now but there are little things that remind me of him all the time.
The other day I heard a knock at the door
It was the same funny little knock he would always do.
I immediately started to tear up but knowing I had to answer it I composed myself.
I opened the door
Get on the floor
Everybody walk the dinosaur
@davidcolby167
Actually, it's about nuclear war.
"A shadow from the sky much too big to be a bird
A screaming crashing noise louder than I've ever heard
It looked like two big silver trees that somehow learned to soar
Suddenly a summer breeze and a mighty lion's roar
I killed the dinosaur, I killed the dinosaur
Open the door, get on the floor
Everybody kill the dinosaur"
Shadow from the sky = missile
Screaming crashing noise = detonation
Two big silver trees = mushroom clouds
summer breeze = firestorms
Everybody killed the dinosaur - in this case, we killed ourselves.
@mikecassell8953
For those of you too young to remember, this song was EVERYWHERE in the very early 90s. It was played at roller rinks, in movies, in tv commercials, in malls, and apparently at clubs. In fact, if you’re old enough to remember this song but you DON’T remember it, you’re from a parallel universe.
@AndrewARitz
When I was a kid we went to an outback steakhouse (cuz that was new and exciting in the 90S) and they were just pumping this song over and over, outside, while we waited for our table.
@2bunphettered788
😄👍🏾
@cnjetixnicktoonsenjoyer2002
Well, I first heard it in a Dinosaur (2000) DVD/VHS spot that was a preview from a VHS movie that I watched called Toy Story 2, does that count?
@maitreyas.4902
I remember it well ! There is a thin line between stupid and clever.
@FlyRick78
It was the late 80s.
@spiraldown2710
“What’s a fun song I haven’t heard in ages” I said to my self… Nailed it.
@luluciferia1948
Best comment
@someguy779
Dude. Same.
@IlikeMichaelMyers
That’s what she said