Is 'Walk the Dinosaur' Actually a Political Satire? Unpacking the 1987 Hit's Hidden Meaning

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Pop history is filled with novelty tracks that wither once their initial cultural moment fades. Novelties usually depend on cheap jokes or fleeting gimmicks that age terribly under modern scrutiny.

"Walk the Dinosaur" escaped that fate by being two distinct works of art at once. For casual listeners, it was an irresistible piece of late-1980s funk rock with a groove tight enough to stand alongside Prince or Parliament. For listeners paying attention, it was a biting piece of gallows humor written at the tail end of a standoff that threatened human survival.

Whether blasting from a cartoon soundtrack or derailing an online message board thread, the command remains impossible to ignore. David and Don Was set out to capture the surreal experience of dancing on the brink of an abyss, and in doing so, they created one of the most stealthily brilliant pop satires of the twentieth century.