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A 4-Year-Old's Ode To Dinosaur Love: 'A Big Bang Came, And They Died'
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DAVID FOLKENFLIK, HOST:
Dinosaurs roam our imagination with ferocity. Their giant size, savage roars and slicing teeth have inspired countless movies, exhibits and theme parks, too. But a 4-year-old girl in London sees something much more, well, human in them.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DINOSAURS IN LOVE")
FENN ROSENTHAL: (Singing) Dinosaurs having a party. They eat fruit and cucumber. They fell in love.
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FOLKENFLIK: This girl's name is Fenn Rosenthal. And she wrote a song about dinosaurs in love. Her father posted the song on his Twitter account earlier this week. And it has since gone viral. More than 5 million people have listened to it. And the world of television also noticed. On Thursday night, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots covered the song on The Tonight Show.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON")
JIMMY FALLON: (Singing) Dinosaurs in love - dinosaurs having a party...
FOLKENFLIK: Tom Rosenthal, Fenn's father, confesses he's somewhat surprised the song has become famous.
TOM ROSENTHAL: You can never know when you press that button to send that tweet that it will go across the world in a second. You just can't - you know, that's not part of the normal human imagination.
FOLKENFLIK: Tom is a musician. He played the piano for Fenn and recorded her singing. But he says the song's creation was driven by her.
ROSENTHAL: She had three eggs for lunch that day. After that, she was really bouncy. And she came in and wanted to do a song. And she did come up with all the words.
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(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DINOSAURS IN LOVE")
FENN: (Singing) A big bang came, and they died. Dinosaurs, dinosaurs fell in love, but they didn't say goodbye.
FOLKENFLIK: Tom Rosenthal has thoughts on why his daughter might be singing about lost love and death.
ROSENTHAL: My father - and that's her grandfather - had Parkinson's and died last year. I think that was woven into her conscious somehow. And she was very concerned about him and very concerned about what it all meant. And it has been something that's been important to her.
FOLKENFLIK: Tom believes that Fenn's raw emotion and unpolished production are why people are embracing the song.
ROSENTHAL: Having a 4-year-old speak very truthfully for her about death and about these things happening and very meaningfully - and that just hit a spot.
FOLKENFLIK: Now, we wanted to talk to Fenn about her success, but she was busy being entertained by her uncle in another room.
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(CROSSTALK)
FENN: (Unintelligible), too.
FOLKENFLIK: Perhaps she'll take inspiration from him for her next hit.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON")
FALLON: (Singing) Dinosaurs eating people, dinosaurs in love... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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