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.
Please Baby Please
Devo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, baby, baby please baby
Please baby please baby
Baby, baby, baby please baby
Please baby please baby
Baby, baby, baby please baby
Please baby please baby
Baby, baby, baby please baby
Know what I'm talkin' about, goin' down without
I'm lost in the desert and I'm dyin' of thirst
I'm graspin' at straws, I'm chasin' a mirage
I'm sure to expire, 'less you get here first
Got my GPS working, hope it's still working
Please give me some
Whatever sum is greater
Walk like a perp and be my perpetrator
Please give me some
Sooner than later
Walk like a perp and be my perpetrator
Please baby please baby
Baby, baby, baby please baby
Give me some of that, heal me with that
Please baby please baby
Baby, baby, baby please baby
I'm lost in space, floatin' upside-down
It's cold and dark, I'm a dog with no bark
Sure to drift away unless you bring me down
Throw me a tether, please, throw me a tether
Please give me some
Whatever sum is greater
Walk like a perp and be my perpetrator
Please give me some
Sooner than later
Walk like a perp and be my perpetrator
Please baby please baby
Baby, baby, baby please baby
Give me some of that, heal me with that
Please baby please baby
Baby, baby, baby please baby
What I'm talkin' 'bout
Going down with that
The lyrics to Devo's song "Please Baby Please" seem to revolve entirely around the theme of yearning and need. It seems to be a song written by someone who is desperately seeking something from another person or entity. The repeated pleas for "baby" to "heal" them and "give [them] some" suggest some kind of physical or emotional weakness that needs to be addressed urgently. The lyrics are also full of metaphors that convey a sense of desperation and helplessness, such as being lost in the desert and dying of thirst, and being lost in space and drifting away.
Overall, the song seems to be a plea for someone or something - perhaps a lover, a drug, or a spiritual force - to come and save the singer from their current state of despair. The repetition of the phrase "please baby please baby" adds to the sense of urgency and need in the song, conveying a feeling that the situation is truly dire and requires immediate action. The use of the phrase "walk like a perp and be my perpetrator" is an interesting twist on the usual associations of those words, suggesting that the person or force that can "heal" the singer may also be the one that caused their pain in the first place.
Line by Line Meaning
Please baby please baby
The singer is begging the addressee for something.
Baby, baby, baby please baby
The singer is using endearment to appeal to the addressee's emotions.
Give me some of that, heal me with that
The singer wants the addressee to give them something that will make them feel better.
Know what I'm talkin' about, goin' down without
The artist is implying that they need this thing desperately and will suffer without it.
I'm lost in the desert and I'm dyin' of thirst
The artist is using a metaphor to describe their deep need for the thing they are asking for.
I'm graspin' at straws, I'm chasin' a mirage
The singer is emphasizing the futility of their efforts to find this thing elsewhere.
I'm sure to expire, 'less you get here first
The singer is implying that they will not survive unless the addressee helps them soon.
Got my GPS working, hope it's still working
The artist is using humor to make light of their desperate situation and the uncertain outcome of their request.
Please give me some
The artist is repeating their request to emphasize its importance.
Whatever sum is greater
The artist is willing to pay a high price for the thing they are asking for.
Walk like a perp and be my perpetrator
The singer is using provocative language to imply that the addressee has the power to help them by giving them what they need.
Sooner than later
The artist is emphasizing the urgency of their request.
I'm lost in space, floatin' upside-down
The singer is using another metaphor to describe their current state of confusion and helplessness.
It's cold and dark, I'm a dog with no bark
The singer is reinforcing the idea that they are in a bleak and desperate situation.
Sure to drift away unless you bring me down
The singer is saying that they will be lost forever without the addressee's help.
Throw me a tether, please, throw me a tether
The artist is pleading with the addressee to help them by giving them the thing they need.
What I'm talkin' 'bout
The artist is repeating their request one last time to emphasize its importance.
Going down with that
The singer is using suggestive language to imply that the addressee has the power to satisfy their needs.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GERALD V. CASALE, MARK ALLEN MOTHERSBAUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind