39. Dinosaur Egg
© Robbie O'Connell 1988 Slievenamon Music [BMI]
I wrote this back in the mid ‘80s when my children were young. I have fond memories of my two youngest sons, Declan and Owen joining me to sing it at a folk music festival in Roger Williams’ Park in Providence, RI. Their “group” name was The Forgetful Dinosaurs because when Owen, the youngest, was asked to sing he would always respond, “ I can’t renember.” That’s not a typo. I ended up writing a song with that title too, which may appear here at some point. I still remember the expression of absolute wonder on the faces of some of the boys when I sang “Dinosaur Egg” for the kids in our local Day Care in Franklin, MA. It was very gratifying to get the response I was hoping for.
I’ve always enjoyed children’s songs. In fact, the first LP record I ever wore out, back in the 1950s, was Ed McCurdy’s Children Songs. My uncle, Paddy Clancy, who ran Tradition Records in New York at that time, had brought some copies back to Ireland for the family. Nearly thirty years later, I was delighted to actually meet Ed McCurdy at the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem reunion concert at Lincoln Center. I think he was surprised and pleased to hear that a bunch of kids in a small Irish town had grown up with his music. I occasionally still sing one of those songs, “I Had a Horse”, when I’m in a silly mood.
Lyrics:
DINOSAUR EGG
© Robbie O’Connell 1988 Slievenamon Music [BMI]1
As Jack was playing out back one day, well what do you think he found? But a strange looking object shiny and hard that was buried underneath the ground. Well he wondered what it might be, he'd never seen such a thing before. "I think I know," said Jack to himself, "it's an egg from a dinosaur!" Dinosaur egg, dinosaur egg! Never seen such a thing before, Dinosaur egg, dinosaur egg! An egg from a dinosaur! So Jack called up the science museum and he called up the government too. And they sent inspectors round to his house to run off a test or two. They dug up all the front yard and a great big hole in the back. And, in the end, it looked like the house had been hit by a missile attack! Dinosaur egg, dinosaur egg! Never seen such a thing before, Dinosaur egg, dinosaur egg! An egg from a dinosaur! But when the results of the test came in it was not what they thought at all. For Jack had made a huge mistake, it was just an old football. But Jack he was not worried, for he was no ordinary fool. Where once they had a yard full of weeds, they now had a swimming pool. Dinosaur egg, dinosaur egg! Never seen such a thing before, Dinosaur egg, dinosaur egg! An egg from a dinosaur!
PRODUCTION NOTES:
Many, many thanks to my son, Paul O’Connell for his brilliant illustrations.
Home Recording, Waterford, Ireland 2026
This entry into the SongBook is being published on April 19 because that is Declan O’Connell’s birthday—the Dinosaur fanatic that inspired this song.