Mesozoic Mind - MesozoicMind.com

The Story of the Song

How a song written for a kids’ video in the ’80s ended up stuck in so many heads for so many years.

1. 1980

   A clay dinosaur short wins awards

   Will Vinton Productions makes Dinosaur, a clay animation short. It wins a Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival and a Gold Award at the Houston International Film Festival.

   About the video →

2. 1985–89

   Charmer plays Chicago

   Charmer, a four-piece pop rock band from Chicago, is playing the Chicago club circuit. While they’re recording their first album, a contact of their manager hears them in the studio and tells them about a kids’ dinosaur video starring Fred Savage that needs a song for cartoon dinosaurs to sing along to.

3. One weekend

   “Mesozoic Mind” is recorded

   The lyrics were already written by the video’s screenwriter, Virginia Theimer Clapper. Charmer goes into the studio on a weekend and writes, arranges and records the entire music track and all the vocals. Under their contract, the band gives up all rights to the song.

   Read the lyrics →

4. 1987

   Dinosaurs! A Fun-Filled Trip Back in Time!

   The video is released by Pyramid Films. Fred Savage plays a kid stuck on his science project until he hears “Mesozoic Mind” on the radio and decides to do his report on dinosaurs. The video includes Will Vinton’s Dinosaur short, and ends up in homes, libraries and classrooms everywhere.

   Watch the music video →

5. 1988

   Fred Savage becomes Kevin Arnold

   The year after the video, Fred Savage starts starring in The Wonder Years, which runs until 1993.

   More ’80s TV →

6. 2003

   MesozoicMind.com goes online

   The site launches for everyone who suddenly finds the song stuck in their head again. That October, a surprising e-mail arrives: “I’m the person who wrote the song.” It’s from Ginny, the songwriter and screenwriter herself.

   Read her letter →

7. 2004

   Fans start learning to play it

   Nick sends in a guitar tab of the song in January, and in October, Ben & Bob send their chords after learning the song for a three-year-old fan.

   Tabs · Chords

8. 2006

   The video goes up on YouTube

   The video is posted to YouTube and embedded on the site, so anyone can watch it again.

9. 2010–14

   Covers, remixes and fan art

   The first covers turn up in 2010, from Cybarflint and i2. Then come the first fan art (2011), vector art of the band by James (2011), a cover by the band Plushgun (2012) and a cover synched to the original video by Kenneth Hudson Jr. (2014).

   Covers · Fan creations

10. 2015

    The T. rex writes in

    Pat Tenneriello, Charmer’s lead guitarist, finds the site while looking for the song to show his nephew. He shares the story of how the song was made, and says that one song really did capture the hearts and minds of its listeners. (The band never did get to meet Fred Savage.)

    Read the news archive →

11. 2017

    The mystery intro music is found

    After years of searching, the music at the start of the video, the track that sounds like “Every Breath You Take,” is identified: “Step by Step” by Vic Sepanski.

    See the news on the home page →

12. Today

    Still stuck in our heads

    People still find this site every year after the song pops back into their heads. If that’s you, we’d love to hear your story.

    Share your story