Meaning of "When I Was Dinosaur" by Trout Fishing In America

"When I Was Dinosaur" by Trout Fishing In America explores themes of power, respect, nostalgia, and the passage of time. The lyrics paint a picture of a dinosaur reminiscing about its glory days when it was feared and respected, with a mighty roar and weight of almost a ton. The repetition of "That's all I ever was" emphasizes a sense of resignation to its fate as fossil fuel, reflecting on how its once-feared existence has been reduced to a mere commodity for the future. The clever juxtaposition of the dinosaur's physical power and lack of intellectual depth, with lines like "I had a little bitty brain" and "I never thought of anything," adds a layer of irony. The song can be interpreted as a reflection on how power and respect can be fleeting, and how something mighty can ultimately be reduced to something insignificant in the grand scheme of things.