If you walked into a dive bar in Akron, Ohio, in 1974 and saw five guys in industrial jumpsuits screaming about being monkeys, you’d probably have walked right back out. Or maybe you would’ve stayed and had your brain rewired. That’s the thing about the we are devo song—formally known as "Jocko Homo"—it wasn't just a weird tune. It was a manifesto. It was a threat. Honestly, it was a giant middle finger to the entire concept of human progress.
Most people recognize the "Are we not men? We are Devo!" chant from the 1978 album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, produced by Brian Eno. But the song’s DNA goes way deeper than a catchy New Wave hook. It’s rooted in a philosophy that sounds like a joke but feels more like a prophecy every single day.
The Theory of De-Evolution (It’s Not Just a Name)
Devo didn't just pick a cool word. The band's founders, Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, were art students at Kent State University. They were there on May 4, 1970, when the National Guard opened fire on students. That trauma changed everything. Seeing "civilized" society crumble into state-sanctioned violence led them to a grim realization: humanity isn't evolving toward perfection. We’re going backward.
They found a weird religious pamphlet from 1924 called Jocko-Homo Heavenbound by B.H. Shadduck. It was an anti-evolution screed, intended to mock Darwinism by suggesting humans were actually regressing. Casale and Mothersbaugh took that irony and ran with it. They embraced the regression. If the world was becoming stupid, they would be the smartest stupid people in the room.
The we are devo song is the literal anthem of this movement. It starts with that jagged, off-kilter 7/8 time signature that makes your skin crawl. Most pop songs want you to dance; Devo wanted you to twitch. It’s robotic, yet frantic. It feels like a machine trying to remember what it's like to be a primate.
Breaking Down the Weirdness
When Mothersbaugh yelps "Are we not men?", he’s not asking a rhetorical question. He’s challenging the audience. The "We are Devo!" response is a surrender. It’s an admission that we’ve lost our way.
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The lyrics mention "Monkey men all in a row" and "God made man, but he used a monkey to do it." It’s a direct slap at both religious dogma and scientific arrogance. Devo was obsessed with the idea that our technology and social structures were actually stripping away our humanity. In 1977, this sounded like sci-fi nonsense. In 2026, looking at how we interact with algorithms and screens, it feels like they were looking through a telescope at our current lives.
The Akron Sound and the 7/8 Time Signature
The musicality of "Jocko Homo" is actually pretty sophisticated, even if it sounds like a broken toy. Playing in 7/8 is hard. Most rock bands stick to 4/4 because it’s easy to stomp your feet to. Devo deliberately chose a signature that felt "wrong."
- The Booji Boy Factor: Mark Mothersbaugh often performed the song as his alter ego, Booji Boy (pronounced "Boogie Boy"), a high-pitched, infantile character in a grotesque mask. It was the visual representation of de-evolution: a grown man regressing into a disturbing, baby-like state.
- The Casale Bass: Jerry Casale’s bass lines weren't flowing or groovy. They were staccato. Like a heart monitor.
- Industrial Influence: Being from Akron, the "Rubber Capital of the World," the band was surrounded by the sounds of factories. You can hear the mechanical clanking of the Goodyear and Firestone plants in the rhythm of the we are devo song. It’s industrial music before "Industrial Music" was even a genre name.
Why Iggy Pop and David Bowie Lost Their Minds Over It
Before they were famous, Devo was a local Ohio oddity. They sent a tape to Iggy Pop, who passed it to David Bowie. Bowie famously declared at a 1977 Max’s Kansas City show that Devo was "the band of the future" and that he wanted to produce them in Tokyo.
Think about that. The two biggest icons of "cool" were obsessed with these guys who looked like janitors and sang about monkey men. Why? Because Devo had a total concept. Most bands just have songs; Devo had a universe. They weren't trying to be rock stars. They were trying to be a corporate entity that sold the truth about human decay.
When people search for the we are devo song, they usually find the music video. It’s a masterpiece of low-budget surrealism. It features a "pulp" lecture hall where Dr. Jerry Casale explains de-evolution to a group of confused students. It’s satirical, biting, and genuinely uncomfortable to watch. That discomfort is the point. If you’re comfortable, you aren’t paying attention.
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Misconceptions: Devo Wasn't a "Joke Band"
A lot of people lump Devo in with "one-hit wonders" because of "Whip It." That’s a massive mistake. "Whip It" was a fluke hit that used their signature irony to mock the "you can do it" American optimism. But "Jocko Homo" is the core.
Some critics at the time called them "fascist" because of the uniforms and the synchronized movements. They completely missed the joke. Devo was satirizing the conformity of the corporate world. They wore the jumpsuits because, in their eyes, we were all already wearing them. We were all drones. They just had the guts to put on the uniform and call it what it was.
How to Listen to "Jocko Homo" Properly
If you want to understand the we are devo song, you can't just play it in the background while you do dishes. You have to look at the different versions.
- The 1977 Stiff Records Version: This is the raw stuff. It’s grittier, slower, and feels more dangerous. It’s less "pop" and more "art-school riot."
- The 1978 Album Version: This is the one most people know. It’s cleaner, thanks to Brian Eno’s production, but it still retains that jagged edge.
- The "Devo Live: The Mongoloid Years" version: This captures the sheer chaos of their early shows. You can hear the audience's confusion. It’s beautiful.
The Actionable Legacy of De-Evolution
So, what do we do with this? Is it just a cool old song from the 70s? Not really. The we are devo song is a reminder to resist the "monkey men all in a row" mentality.
Understand the Satire
When you hear the chant, don't just shout along. Think about where you're conforming in your own life. Are you following a script? Are you de-evolving because it's easier than thinking?
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Explore the Visuals
Go watch the The Truth About De-Evolution short film. It provides the context that a simple Spotify stream can't give you. It shows the band's commitment to their "sub-genius" aesthetic.
Listen to the Neighbors
If you like the jaggedness of "Jocko Homo," check out other bands from the "Ohio Nexus" like Pere Ubu or The B-52s (who shared that art-school DNA). It gives you a broader picture of the post-punk landscape.
Apply the DIY Ethic
Devo started their own label (Booji Boy Records) because no one would sign them. They made their own costumes. They created their own philosophy. "Jocko Homo" is a call to create your own world when the current one stops making sense.
Stop treating Devo like a kitschy 80s relic. They were the most honest band of their era. They told us we were going backward, and we proved them right. The only way out is to embrace the "Devo" within and start questioning the "men" in charge. Check out the 1977 Booji Boy version of "Jocko Homo" first—it's the purest distillation of their weird, wonderful, and terrifying vision.