Morning Dew
Devo Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Walk me out in the morning dew my friend
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
You didn't hear no baby cry today

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

Overall Meaning

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
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Comments from YouTube:

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 :)

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