My Gen X Playlist: Rock Lobster – The B-52’s

Dinosaurs. They have not been on my radar for at least 40 years. I’m going to have to reach way back into my childhood to answer this one with a little bit of googling peppered in.

I remember liking the T-Rex and pterodactyl when I was a child. I googled a bit and learned a few things this morning. One – pterodactyl begins with the letter “p”. I don’t remember silent Ps being a thing when I was a kid. Two – pterodactyls are not dinosaurs. It turns out, they are a member of the pterosaurs family (there is that darn silent “p” again).

Pterosaurs lived among the dinosaurs and became extinct around the same time, but they were not dinosaurs. Rather, pterosaurs were flying reptiles. 

– Live Science

Technically, since pterodactyls do not qualify, this leaves the T-Rex. Having seen all of the Godzilla movies, I feel the need to make a distinction between which dinosaur I like versus which one I’d bring back. I don’t fancy seeing a T-Rex on the 405 freeway during 5 o’clock rush hour. That would be no bueno. So, if I had to choose a dinosaur to bring back, I’d choose the stegosaurus. Not only are they herbivores, but they were ranked #1 on the top 10 friendliest dinosaur list. Yes, I’m shocked as you, there is such a list.

A further complication – choosing a dinosaur song to make the playlist. It turns out that They May be Giants actually have a song called I am a Paleontologist. It’s catchy and fun, but to be true to the playlist, I believe it may have been written as a children’s song and I’d never heard of this before this morning. I had to disqualify it. More googling:

…many species of lobster predate dinosaurs by hundreds of millions of years, and they’re one of the earliest known species of filter-feeders on record

– Hastings Aquarium

It’s a stretch, but good enough for me. So there you have it folks. The B-52’s Rock Lobster for today’s playlist. Nothing better than listening to early B-52’s on a Sunday morning. Enjoy!

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Ski-doo-be-dop
Eww
Ski-doo-be-dop
Eww
(Ski-doo-be-dop) We were at a party (Eww)
(Ski-doo-be-dop) His ear lobe fell in the deep (Eww)
(Ski-doo-be-dop) Someone reached in and grabbed it (Eww)
(Ski-doo-be-dop) Was a rock lobster (Eww)

Aaaah
Rock lobster
Aaaah
Rock lobster

Eww
Eww
We were at the beach (Eww)
Everybody had matching towels (Eww)
Somebody went under a dock (Eww)
And there they saw a rock (Eww)
It wasn't a rock (Eww)
Was a rock lobster (Eww)

Aaaah
Rock lobster
Aaaah
Rock lobster

Rock lo-o-obster
Rock lo-o-obster

Motion in the ocean (Ooh ah)
His air hose broke (Hoo ah)
Lots of trouble (Ooh ah)
Lots of bubble (Hoo ah)
He was in a jam (Ooh ah)
He's in a giant clam! (Hoo ah)

Rock, rock
Rock lobster! (Aaaaaaaaah)
Down, down! (Aaaaaaah)

Lobster
Rock
Lobster
Rock
Let's rock!

Boys and bikinis
Girls and surfboards
Everybody's rockin'
Everybody's frugin'

Twistin' round the fire
Havin' fun

Bakin' potatoes
Bakin' in the sun

Put on your noseguard
Put on the lifeguard
Pass the tanning butter

Here comes a stingray (ooh wok ooh wok)
There goes a manta ray (ah ah ah)
In walked a jellyfish (huah)
There goes a dogfish (rea-owr)
Chased by a catfish (geh geh geh geh geh geh geh geh geh geh)
In flew a sea robin (Laaaaa)
Watch out for that piranha (eh rek eh rek ah hoo)
There goes a narwhal (eeeeh)
Here comes a bikini whale! (Aaaaah!)

(Lobster rock lobster-ster) Rock lobster
(Lobster) Rock lobster (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
(Lobster rock lobster-ster) Rock lobster
(Lobster) Rock lobster (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)