The band released their first album in 20 years, Something for Everybody on June 15, 2010.
Their style has been variously classified as punk, industrial and rock, but are most often considered to be the 70s/early 80s New Wave band that ushered in the synth pop of the 1980s, along with other acts such as Gary Numan and The B-52s.
Devo's music and stage show mingle kitsch science fiction themes, deadpan surrealist humor, and mordantly satirical social commentary, often dealing with the concept of De-Evolution, in sometimes-discordant pop songs that often feature unusual synthetic instrumentation and time signatures.
Their work has proved hugely influential on subsequent popular music, particularly New Wave, alternative and grunge music, they created some memorable music videos popular in the early days of MTV.
The name "Devo" comes from the concept of Devolution (also referred to by the band as de-evolution). This idea was developed as a joke by Kent State University art students Gerald Casale and Bob Lewis as early as the late 1960s. Casale and Lewis created a number of art pieces in the vein of Devolution. At this time, Casale had also performed with the local band 15-60-75. They met Mark Mothersbaugh around 1970, who introduced them to the pamphlet Jocko Homo Heavenbound, which would later inspire the song Jocko Homo
The pivotal moment for the formation of Devo was the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970. Casale knew two of the murdered students, and even saw one student, Allison Krause, with exit wounds from the M1 Garand rifle. At this moment, Casale claims he changed the idea of Devolution into a serious concept.
The first form of Devo was the Sextet Devo which performed at the 1973 Kent State performing arts festival. It included Casale, Lewis and Mothersbaugh, as well as Gerald's brother Bob Casale on guitar, and friends Rod Reisman and Fred Weber on drums and vocals, respectively. This performance was filmed and a part was included on the home video The Complete Truth About De-evolution. This lineup only performed once. Devo returned to perform in the Student Governance Center (featured prominently in the film) at the 1974 Creative Arts Festival with a line-up including the Casale brothers, Bob Lewis, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Jim Mothersbaugh on drums.
Devo later formed as a quartet focusing around Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale. They recruited Mark's brothers Bob Mothersbaugh and Jim Mothersbaugh. Bob played electric guitar, and Jim provided percussion using a set of homemade electronic drums. This lineup of Devo lasted until 1976 when Jim left the band. The lineup was occasionally fluid, and Bob Lewis would sometimes play guitar during this period. In concert, Devo would often perform in the guise of theatrical characters, such as Booji Boy, and The Chinaman. Live concerts from this period were often confrontational, and would remain so until 1977. A recording of an early Devo performance from 1975 with the quartet lineup appears on DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years, ending with the promoters unplugging Devo's equipment.
Following Jim Motherbaugh's departure, Bob Mothersbaugh found a new drummer in Alan Myers, who played a conventional, acoustic drum set with mechanical precision. Casale re-recruited his brother Bob Casale, and the popular line-up of Devo was formed. It would endure for nearly ten years.
Devo embarked on a Euro-Tour 2007 on June 16th in Barcelona. They also performed concerts in Brighton, London, Manchester and Glasgow. More information about it can be found here.
In May 2020 Devo re-opened their online store where face masks with logo designs and an infamous Energy Dome with the attacheable protective shield can be pre-ordered to help their fans protect themselves from Covid-19.
Beautiful World
Devo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A sweet romantic place
Beautiful people everywhere
The way they show they care
Makes me want to say
It's a beautiful world
It's a beautiful world
For you
For you
For you
It's a wonderful time to be here
It's nice to be alive
Wonderful people everywhere
The way they comb their hair
Makes me want to say
It's a wonderful place
It's a wonderful place
It's a wonderful place
For you
For you
For you
Hey
Tell me what I say
Boy 'n' girl with the new clothes on
You can shake it to me all night long
Hey hey
It's a beautiful world we live in
A sweet romantic place
Beautiful people everywhere
The way they show they care
Makes me want to say
It's a beautiful world
It's a beautiful world
It's a beautiful world
For you
For you
For you
It's not for me
It's a beautiful world, For you
It's a beautiful world, For you
It's a beautiful world, For you
It's a beautiful world, Not me
Devo's song "Beautiful World" is a seemingly upbeat and positive anthem that celebrates the beauty of the world and the people in it. However, upon closer examination, the song reveals a certain level of irony and sarcasm that speaks to the band's trademark cynical outlook.
The opening verse praises the world as a "sweet romantic place" full of "beautiful people everywhere" who "show they care." However, this is immediately followed by a repetition of the chorus that seems to undermine the sincerity of these sentiments. The use of repetition in the chorus, along with the detachment that comes from singing "for you" rather than "for me," highlights a sense of distance between the observer and the world they are describing.
This detachment becomes even more apparent in the final lines of the song, where the singer makes it clear that they are not included in the beautiful world they are singing about. This creates a sense of isolation and disillusionment that is characteristic of Devo's overall aesthetic.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a beautiful world we live in
The world we live in is beautiful and breathtaking
A sweet romantic place
The world has a romantic, charming quality to it
Beautiful people everywhere
The world is filled with beautiful beings
The way they show they care
People's actions towards each other displays love and kindness
Makes me want to say
These observations and feelings bring about a sense of gratitude and appreciation
It's a beautiful world
The world is indeed beautiful and worth cherishing
For you
This beauty is for everyone to experience, including the listener
It's a wonderful time to be here
The present is a wonderful moment to experience life
It's nice to be alive
Being alive is a privilege and source of joy
Wonderful people everywhere
The world is filled with admirable and inspiring people
The way they comb their hair
Even the small details of how people present themselves are noteworthy
It's a wonderful place
The world is a wonderful place to be
For you
This place is also available for the listener to experience and enjoy
Hey
An exclamation to grab attention
Tell me what I say
Asking for feedback and input on what has been said so far
Boy 'n' girl with the new clothes on
A shoutout to fashion and youth culture
You can shake it to me all night long
A fun invitation to dance and enjoy oneself
It's not for me
The beauty of the world is not dependent on the singer's personal likes or dislikes
It's a beautiful world, For you
Reiterating that the world is beautiful and available for the listener's enjoyment
It's a beautiful world, Not me
Although the world is beautiful, the artist acknowledges that it may not personally resonate with them
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GERALD V. CASALE, MARK MOTHERSBAUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind