Love, Love, Love : An Analysis of Purple Dinosaur

The song "Purple Dinosaur", by nobigdyl, was released in early 2017 in light of the recent presidential election. In the song, NBD exclaims that we need to love each other more, and with out doing so, nothing will get better. NBD does this with poetic language throughout the whole song.


In the first verse of the rap, we see NBD’s poetic phrases. He spits,

But baby I know why the caged bird sings,
 ‘cause only love can make the type of bell that freedom rings

This line references Maya Angelou’s autobiography I know why the caged bird sings. In this book, she talks about how racism and sexism had trapped her in a “cage”. What this line is saying is that by loving each other a little more, we can break out of this “cage” and make life better for everyone.

The next poetic line is seen in the second verse of the song. NBD raps,

Sometimes I need a spirit bomb like I was goku

This line references the spirit bomb attack in the anime Dragon Ball. This attack is the most powerful thing in the dragon ball universe, but takes multiple people to activate. This line shows that sometimes we need other people in order to love one another.

The final poetic line is seen in the last verse of the song. NBD exclaims,

And the saddest news, how you deny your brother water when your glass is full

This line speaks to America in the current day, as President Trump has implemented the “Muslim ban”. This act denied the immigration of people from several Muslim majority nations. In this line, NBD talks about this simple thing : water. This is a multidimensional word. Water, which is the most basic thing to life, is sometimes incredibly difficult to find in deprived nations. By not aiding other nations that are struggling to survive, we are not allowing nations to form relationships with one another. At the same time, the word “water” is used to reference the basic rights of an American. Over the past few years, and even today in America, African American and Muslim rights have been slowly taken away, while white rights are always "full". This “denying of water” is referencing something more than a restaurant interaction.