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.
Morning Dew
Devo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walk me out in the morning dew today
Can't walk you out in the morning dew my friend
Can't walk you out in the morning dew today
I thought I heard a baby cry this morning
I thought I heard a baby cry today
You didn't hear no baby cry this morning
Where have all the people gone this morning
Where have all the people gone today
You'll never find no people here this morning
You didn't need those people anyway
I thought I heard a young male call this morning
I thought I heard a young male call today
You didn't hear no young girl call this morning
You didn't hear no young girl call today
And now I can't walk you out in the morning dew my friend
I guess it doesn't matter anyway
Devo's "Morning Dew" is a cover of a song originally written by Bonnie Dobson in 1962. The song depicts a euphoric aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse, where the singer and a friend roam through the deserted and sullen wasteland. The song's title refers to the dew that is present after a cold night, which contrasts with the song's lyrics' bleakness.
The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer asks their friend to "Walk me out in the morning dew" but follows it up by saying they can't, creating a sense of loneliness within the singer. They are not alone, however, as they hear a baby cry, which they think might be a sign of life but soon realizes that it's probably crying at the loss of life. Similarly, they wonder where people have gone, but they know there won't be anyone there. The song ends with the sense of giving up, saying it doesn't matter anyway.
Overall, "Morning Dew" is a haunting and poignant song that represents the fear of nuclear warfare and its fallout.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk me out in the morning dew my friend
Accompany me outside while the dew is still fresh on the ground, my friend.
Walk me out in the morning dew today
Accompany me outside while the dew is still fresh on the ground today.
Can't walk you out in the morning dew my friend
I am unable to accompany you outside while the dew is still fresh on the ground, my friend.
Can't walk you out in the morning dew today
I am unable to accompany you outside while the dew is still fresh on the ground today.
I thought I heard a baby cry this morning
I believe I heard the sound of an infant crying earlier this morning.
I thought I heard a baby cry today
I believe I heard the sound of an infant crying today.
You didn't hear no baby cry this morning
You did not hear the sound of a crying infant earlier this morning.
You didn't hear no baby cry today
You did not hear the sound of a crying infant today.
Where have all the people gone this morning
I am curious as to the whereabouts of all the people who were present earlier this morning.
Where have all the people gone today
I am curious as to the whereabouts of all the people who are usually present today.
You'll never find no people here this morning
There are no people present here this morning.
You didn't need those people anyway
You did not really require the presence of those people in the first place.
I thought I heard a young male call this morning
I believe I heard the voice of a young man calling out earlier this morning.
I thought I heard a young male call today
I believe I heard the voice of a young man calling out today.
You didn't hear no young girl call this morning
You did not hear the voice of a young girl calling out earlier this morning.
You didn't hear no young girl call today
You did not hear the voice of a young girl calling out today.
And now I can't walk you out in the morning dew my friend
At present, I am unable to accompany you outside while the dew is still fresh on the ground, my friend.
I guess it doesn't matter anyway
I suppose it is inconsequential either way.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BONNIE DOBSON, TIM ROSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
norcalsasquatch
WOW JUST WOW!!!! As a 40 year Deadhead how has this escaped me.... BTW I love DEVO we are truly devolving at the moment. They were right the whole time.
dil Currie
I am a deadhead too, and I love DEVO both bands were ahead of the curve.
em2
Well done video. Good editing and source material keeps the "Beautiful World" vibe going strong.
Dave L. Woodrum
This video is a really accurate version of the original version of the lyrical intent of Morning Dew (and especially Devo's cover)... I love their version, I love Nazareth's version (yep, they did it as well), etc.
Tim Prescott
Bonnie, Dead, Nazareth, Allmans, Beck, Devo, etc…a real testament to her writing.
James Metzler
Morning Dew is the b-side of To Sir with Love by Lulu. It’s a great version, too.
russell brown
Bonnie Dobso, who wrote the song, is on record as saying that she only disliked one version of her song - Devo's version.
urckrecords
listening to Devo at maximum rock and roll volume whilst the missiles are incoming would not be a bad thing!
Perry Jacob
Great version of this classic, thank you DEVO.
WoodRatGirl
Fantastic song and nice fan made video :)