Human Highway is a 1982 comedy film star… Read Full Bio ↴See also Devo & Neil Young.
Human Highway is a 1982 comedy film starring and co-directed by Neil Young under his pseudonym Bernard Shakey. It contains the only recorded collaboration between Young and the band Devo as they perform Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black). The song is sung by Mark Mothersbaugh as his "Booji Boy" character and changes a few lyrics in typical Devo d-evolution fashion. (i.e. "Johhny Rotten" becomes "Johnny Spud").
At the recording, Mark inserted the Devo line "rust never sleeps" - the line would soon after become the inspiration for Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps album. Young showed the footage of this performance to his band Crazy Horse. Guitarist Frank Sampedro has said they played "Hey Hey, My My" "harder" as a result.
Several scenes from the movie appeared on the Devo music video collections We're All Devo & The Complete Truth About Devolution and were edited to appear as one continuous video for the song "Worried Man Blues".
Hey Hey My My
Devo / Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Hey, hey, my, my
Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, but they give you that
When you're out of the blue and into the black
The king is gone but he's not forgotten (Johnny Rotten, Johnny Rotten)
Is this the story of Johnny Rotten? (Johnny Rotten, Rotten Johnny)
It's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Hey, hey, my, my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
The lyrics of Devo / Neil Young's song Hey Hey My My are full of metaphors and are open to various interpretations. The song is divided into two parts - "Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)" and "My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)", both of which have the same melody but different lyrical content.
The opening lines, "Hey, hey, my, my, rock and roll can never die" celebrate the immortality of rock music. However, the next lines suggest that the music industry is not always honest and transparent, "there's more to the picture than meets the eye" and "you pay for this, but they give you that." The phrase "out of the blue and into the black" suggests a sudden fall from success to obscurity, from unknown to known.
The lyrics go on to compare the rise and fall of rock stars to the cycle of life and death. The reference to "the king" could be to Elvis Presley, who died young, or to Johnny Rotten, the frontman of the Sex Pistols, who symbolized the punk rock movement. The lines “It’s better to burn out ‘cause rust never sleeps, The king is gone but he’s not forgotten” suggests that it is better to go out in a blaze of glory than to fade away into obscurity.
In conclusion, Hey Hey My My can be seen as a tribute to rock music as well as a warning about the pitfalls of fame and the duplicity of the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey, my, my
The singer is saying hello and introducing the topic of the song, rock and roll.
Rock and roll can never die
Despite changing cultural and musical landscapes, rock and roll will always have an important place in the world of music.
There's more to the picture
The world of rock and roll is complex and multifaceted, with many different aspects to explore.
Than meets the eye
However, some of these aspects may not be immediately obvious or visible.
Out of the blue and into the black
This line represents the unpredictable nature of life and how it can change suddenly and unexpectedly.
You pay for this, but they give you that
In life, people often feel like they are not getting what they paid for or were promised.
And once you're gone, you can't come back
Death is a final, irreversible state and there is no coming back from it.
The king is gone but he's not forgotten (Johnny Rotten, Johnny Rotten)
This line is referencing the death of Elvis Presley and how he is still remembered and celebrated today. The inclusion of Johnny Rotten's name is likely a reference to the punk rock movement, which rebelled against the established norms of the music industry.
Is this the story of Johnny Rotten? (Johnny Rotten, Rotten Johnny)
The artist is questioning whether the story being told in the song is specifically about Johnny Rotten, a punk rock icon. The repetition of his name emphasizes his importance in the topic of the song.
It's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps
The idea behind this line is that it's better to live life to the fullest and not fade away slowly, like rust on metal. The concept of burning out emphasizes the passion and intensity that rock and roll represents.
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
This final line is a reiteration of the previous line, emphasizing the idea that even though someone may be gone, their legacy and impact can still be felt.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music
Written by: Neil Young, Jeff Blackburn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Blackscorpion1963
'Booji Boy' singing lead vocals and Neil Young playing lead guitar. Booji Boy /ˈbʊɡi/ is a character created in the early 1970s by the American new wave band Devo. The name is pronounced "Boogie Boy"—the strange spelling "Booji" resulted when the band was using Letraset to produce captions for a film, and ran out of the letter "g". When the "i" was added but before the "e," Devo's lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh reportedly remarked that the odd spelling "looked right." In concert, Booji has performed several songs:
- "The Words Get Stuck In My Throat" - performed live in concert in 1977 and 1978. In 2000, a studio version was recorded for the compilation Pioneers Who Got Scalped. The song originates from the Japanese film The War of the Gargantuas.
- "I Need a Chick" - performed at some shows in 1977 and 1978.
- "Red Eye" - performed on the 1978 tour, and seen in the film The Men Who Make the Music.
_ "In Heaven Everything Is Fine" and "The One That Gets Away" - performed in 1979. "In Heaven" was originally part of the soundtrack of the David Lynch film Eraserhead.
- "Gotta Serve Somebody" - performed with Devo's alter-ego Dove, "the band of love." A live recording appears on the compilation album Recombo DNA.
_ "U Got Me Bugged" - performed at two shows in late 1979, and again on the Hardcore Devo tour in 2014.
- "Tunnel of Life" - performed in 1980. Video of this performance appears on the Devo Live 1980 DVD. (The instrumental version of this song, which appears on Hardcore Devo: Volume Two, is entitled "Booji Boy's Funeral.")
- "Beautiful World" - performed since 1981.
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booji_Boy
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Highway
@flimpjekijken
This is why YouTube is so worth it when out of nowhere, a gem like this appears. Never heard it, never heard of it, and now I can never forget it.
@stringlarson1247
Right? Jeeiz fkn christo that was!
@thomaslemke8506
My God...68 years old and never knew this existed before today. Just outstanding. Thank you Neil and Devo!!
@Bacopa68
Greatest moment in the history of early 80's rock.
@edbalme7909
same
@jessejaymes8684
How in the hell did this old man never hear of this collaboration. Outstanding.
@combatgirl38
At age 50 as a 30+ year fan I was asking myself this very question! I've never been a fan of Neil Young but I thought I'd seen even the most obscure of everything that is the genius of Devo. This shit is a trip to put it mildly!
@scotts5308
From Neil's film Human Highway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyEd1uJN21I&list=TLPQMjAwNTIwMjNvcgrp-iSKyg&index=4&pp=gAQBiAQB
@slimtimg
I hear ya!Love Neil Young and Devo and never knew this existed 😮
@wesleyashworth5061
Exactly what I was thinking 😂