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.
Shrivel Up
Devo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(That you can't go back)
It's a god-given law that
You're gonna lose your maw
It's a god-given fact you gotta
Buy'em by the sack
It's a god-given law that
May be just another rap but
You're running out of sap
Well you better take the rap
Dying under daddy's cap
It's at the top of the list
That you can't get pissed
It's rule number one living right isn't fun
Time-tested and true you
Gotta pooty poo-poo
The opening lines to Devo's song Shrivel Up suggest the inevitability of life, that once you've experienced something, you can never go back to that same point in time but must move forward. This is followed by the line, "It's a god-given law that you're gonna lose your maw," which is a reference to the notion that we all lose our mothers at some point in our lives. In classic Devo style, the lyrics are laden with word play and puns. The line "gotta buy'em by the sack" can be interpreted as a metaphor for how we must take life by the horns and make the most of our time while we have it, or it could simply mean that we need to buy things in large quantities.
The song continues to discuss the shrinking of one's stature and the feeling of being drained of energy, with lines like "you're gonna get small" and "you're running out of sap." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling like a small, insignificant cog in a larger machine, or possibly even a reference to the aging process. The line "dying under daddy's cap" could be interpreted as feeling oppressed by one's father or patriarchal figure, or it could be a more literal reference to being buried in a grave.
The song then shifts to discuss the pressures of living a righteous life, with lines like "you can't get pissed" and "living right isn't fun." It seems to suggest that adhering to strict societal norms and expectations can be a stifling experience. The song concludes with the line "you gotta pooty poo-poo," which is a deliberately nonsensical phrase that speaks to Devo's penchant for absurdity and satire.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it's a god-given fact
It is a universally accepted truth
(That you can't go back)
That once something is done, it cannot be undone or reversed
It's a god-given law that
It is a universally recognized standard
You're gonna lose your maw
You will eventually lose your mother
It's a god-given fact you gotta
It is an unavoidable reality that requires action
Buy'em by the sack
To procure something in large amounts
It's a god-given law that
It is a universal regulation
You're gonna get small
You will inevitably deteriorate or decline in size or stature
May be just another rap but
Perhaps it is just another meaningless speech
You're running out of sap
You are gradually losing vitality and energy
Well you better take the rap
You should take responsibility for your actions and accept the consequences
Dying under daddy's cap
Being suffocated or constrained by one's father's authority or expectations
It's at the top of the list
It is the highest priority
That you can't get pissed
That you cannot get angry, upset or annoyed
It's rule number one living right isn't fun
The first guideline is that living a virtuous life is not always enjoyable
Time-tested and true you
Proven and dependable
Gotta pooty poo-poo
A nonsensical or meaningless phrase used to signify the difficulty or unpleasantness of a situation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GERALD CASALE, MARK MOTHERSBAUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
KyletheCultist
As a 15 year old child that has stumbled upon this gem, this is honestly one of the best devo songs out there. I’ve liked devo for awhile but I hadn’t heard this one until a few months ago. 13/10 would reccomend while walking to the bus stop at 5:30 in the morning
martin galtrey
Eno had a bit more freedom engineering this apparently
Jeff Dawson
You can hear The Residents, Primus, Phish. Devo is still influencing bands. This album is one of the greatest debuts in punk / new wave history.
Stephan Bodini
Bizarre, unique, haunting and hypnotic. Devo's best track IMHO
Joe Yocom
very
Patrick Parker
Good song
Duane Hanlon
THE PERFECT BEAT IN THIS SONG MAKES IT ADDICTIVE
THE BACKGROUND LEAD GUITAR ALONG WITH THE ORGAN IS HYPNOTIC
THE LYRICS ARE ULTRA SURREAL AND UBER AMUSING
ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE DEVO RECORDINGS
octangula !
I AGREE
Kimi Neko
@octangula ! ME TOO
blackburn2009
@Kimi Neko WHY ARE WE ALL SCREAMING