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.
No Place Like Home
Devo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the bigger scheme of things
We haven't been around here more than a moment.
And yet too many, it seems,
Believe we are creating a brand new world around us.
We are creating a brand new world without us.
Maybe it really is okay.
Although we're digging our own graves at this moment.
If we should all just disappear
The skies and waters will clear in a world without us
And there's no place like home.
There's no place like home.
There's no place like home
To return to.
We push against the rest of life
As if we can survive without the world around us.
Can't have a rainbow without the rain.
Can't have a painting without the pain.
Can't have a lover walk out
Without the love leaving with them.
There's no place like home.
No place like home
To return to.
And there's no place like home.
There's no place like home.
There's no place like home
To return to.
And there's no place like home.
There's no place like home.
There's no place like home
To return to.
And there's no place like home.
There's no place like home.
There's no place like home
To return to.
Devo's "No Place Like Home" is a song about the impact humans have on the world around them, and the consequences of their actions. The singer begins by acknowledging the relatively short time humans have been on the Earth, and how many people believe they are creating a new world. However, the song points out that humans are actually creating a brand new world without themselves, referring to the possibility of ecological collapse due to human activity like pollution and deforestation. Nevertheless, the song suggests that this may be okay, as the world would continue even if humans were gone.
The song compares humanity's relationship to nature to pushing against it. The chorus emphasizes the importance of home, and how there is no place like it to return to. The final verse provides a somewhat optimistic outlook, pointing out that things like rain, pain, and love are necessary for beautiful things to exist. The song ultimately calls for humans to embrace living in harmony with the world around them, rather than trying to conquer it.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bigger scheme of things
On a grand scale
We haven't been around here more than a moment.
Humans have existed for a brief period in comparison to other life forms.
And yet too many, it seems,
Despite this fact,
Believe we are creating a brand new world around us.
Many believe humans are creating something entirely new in the world.
We are creating a brand new world without us.
In reality, we are just altering an already existing world, possibly even damaging it beyond repair.
Maybe it really is okay.
It's possible that everything will turn out alright in the end.
Although we're digging our own graves at this moment.
Despite the fact that our actions may lead to our own destruction.
If we should all just disappear
If humans were to vanish all at once,
The skies and waters will clear in a world without us
The world would begin to heal, and the environment would improve.
There's no place like home.
Home is irreplaceable
No place like home
There is no place better than home.
To return to.
to come back to after a long absence
We push against the rest of life
We act as if we can survive even though we are deeply connected to the rest of life.
As if we can survive without the world around us.
As if we can live without the world in which we depend
Can't have a rainbow without the rain.
We can't have good without the bad
Can't have a painting without the pain.
Sometimes the pain and imperfections in life are what make it beautiful.
Can't have a lover walk out
We can't have someone leave us
Without the love leaving with them.
Without love disappearing along with them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GERALD V. CASALE, MARK ALLEN MOTHERSBAUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Tangobutton
Devo's greatest song. Been a fan since the beginning. This song says everything.
@glennpagemusic
I love it too!!! And amazingly, the fans didn't vote for it when they were doing the album marketing survey of which songs should go on the last album. It ranked near, or at the bottom of the survey. Thank god the band put it on the album anyway.
@devatiriya
Devo's probably "God" in a musical form...every song has heart ...and this one should make you cry... if you didn't know this world is just a temporary hotel room which we are all responsible for keeping clean...
@MidCoastAdventures
Very power and prophetic song and clip. Bare in mind the animation was made back in 1963. What have we learned- besides this becoming reality?
@archepytus8596
Yep.
@prophetzarquon1922
Well, now we have more cellphones sold than there are people, so... We've learned more ways to pollute?
@DerUfen
And 5 years later we still don't see it getting better.
@glennpagemusic
Man, it's like this cartoon was made for the damn song... 40 years earlier!!!
@JonTheNativeSpeaker
Truly one of their best......since day one they have produced some of the best music i have ever heard!!!!!!!!! duty now for the future!!
@markrigg6623
Devo doing a serious song. Absolutely awsome. Love the piano riff.