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Jocko Homo
Author: viedy
Song lyrics and themes
The song's verses primarily concern themselves with the satirical view of devolution, noting foibles in human society. Most versions include a bridge that begins with "God made man, but he used the monkey to do it." The song also contains several call and response choruses, including the repeated chant "Are we not Men? / We are Devo!" "Jocko Homo," in its variations, has also contained other chants between the main verses and the closing chant. These include "We Accept You / We Reject You / One of us! One of us!" (a reference to Tod Browning's Freaks ) and "I've got a rhyme that comes in a riddle / O-Hi-O! / What's round on the ends and high in the middle? / O-Hi-O!"
The song usually begins in the unusual time signature of 7/8 time, but switches partway through to common 4/4 time for the call and response sections.
The original version of "Jocko Homo" lacks all call and response choruses except "Are we not men?", as well as the "God made man" bridge. This demo version appears on the Hardcore Devo: Volume One compilation. The Booji Boy Records single version contains both the "O-Hi-O!" and the "God made man" bridge. The version on Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO! only includes the "God made man" bridge.
Mothersbaugh attributes the line "Are we not men?" to the 1932 film Island of Lost Souls, saying "There were like, watered down, wussy versions of it in the later Islands Of Dr. Moreau stuff, but that was a really intense movie." Island of Lost Souls is a film adaptation of the 1896 H.G. Wells novel Island of Doctor Moreau, from which the line originated.
Music video
A music video for the song "Jocko Homo" was part of the short film, The Truth About De-Evolution, Devo's first music video, directed by Chuick Statler. It begins with an interstitial scene of Booji Boy running through an Akron parking lot, up a fire escape, and into a building. There, he meets with General Boy, who is played by Mark Mothersbaugh's father, and hands him papers. After an announcement from General Boy, there are a series of rapid fire cuts of the letters "D-E-V-O" set to the intro of the Devo song "Mechanical Man," and then the main video begins. In it, Mark Mothersbaugh plays a professor, lecturing to a class of students in surgical masks, caps, and 3-D glasses. As the song progresses, the class begins to riot. The film appears on The Complete Truth About De-Evolution.
Live performances
When performed live, "Jocko Homo" is often the centerpiece of the show. During most tours, Devo strips off part of their stage costumes during the bridge. The first performance of "Jocko Homo" in 1975 went on for over twenty minutes. A portion of this appears on the album DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years. When asked to open for Sun Ra, as a joke they performed a half-hour rendition of the song to annoy the crowd, according to Mark Mothersbaugh in an interview in 1997: "We'd play "Jocko Homo" for 30 minutes, and we wouldn't stop until people were actually fighting with us, trying to make us stop playing the song. We'd just keep going, "Are we not men? We are Devo!" for like 25 minutes, directed at people in an aggressive enough manner that even the most peace-lovin' hippie wanted to throw fists."
Other versions
On the 1988 and 1990 tours, as well as at the 1996 Park City, Utah show and the 2002 Hollywood, CA show, Devo performed a drastically re-arranged and slowed down acoustic version of "Jocko Homo" (known as the "Sad" version). On the 1990 tour, the band would finish the "Sad" version and switch into the regular performance version of the song. The "Sad" version can be heard on Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace.
An "E-Z Listening" version was recorded in a Caribbean style for playback before shows. This appears on the 1987 E-Z Listening Disc.
In 1979, novelty group Lonnie & the Devotions recorded a cover version, in a barbershop quartet style, for Rhino Records' early Devo tribute album KROQ's Devotees.
Parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic included a portion of this song in his first polka medley titled "Polkas on 45".
French band Justice sampled the opening bass riff of Jocko Homo in their song "Stress" in their debut album, .
Chart positions
Chart (1978)
Peak
position
UK Singles Chart
62
References
^ "Jocko Homo by Devo Songfacts". Songfacts. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3062. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
^ Liner notes to Devo, "Mongoloid" b/w "Jocko Homo". Booji Boy Records, 1977, which say "'Jocko Homo' - from the soundtrack of 'In the Beginning Was the End...(the truth about DE-EVOLUTION)' a film by Chuck Statler." (emphasis added)
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External links
"Jocko Homo" lyrics and sheet music
v d e
Devo
Mark Mothersbaugh Bob Mothersbaugh Gerald Casale Bob Casale Josh Freese
Bob Lewis Peter Gregg Fred Weber Rod Reisman Jim Mothersbaugh Alan Myers David Kendrick
Studio albums
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo Duty Now for the Future Freedom of Choice New Traditionalists Oh, No! It's Devo Shout Total Devo Smooth Noodle Maps Fresh
Live albums
DEV-O Live Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years Devo Live 1980 Live in Central Park
Compilation albums
E-Z Listening Disc Devo's Greatest Hits Devo's Greatest Misses Hardcore Devo: Volume One Hardcore Devo: Volume Two Hot Potatoes: The Best of Devo Adventures of the Smart Patrol Pioneers Who Got Scalped Recombo DNA This is the Devo Box
EPs
Be Stiff EP Mechanical Man EP DEV-O Live Watch Us Work It
Singles
"Mongoloid" "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" "Be Stiff" "Jocko Homo" "Come Back Jonee" "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize" "Secret Agent Man" "Filmsy Wrap" "Girl U Want" "Whip It" "Gates of Steel" "Freedom of Choice" "Working in the Coal Mine" "Beautiful World" "Through Being Cool" "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" "Peek-a-Boo!" "That's Good" "Theme from Doctor Detroit" "Here to Go" "Are You Experienced?" "Baby Doll" "Disco Dancer" "Post-Post Modern Man" "Watch Us Work It" "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)" "Fresh"
Home video releases
The Men Who Make the Music Human Highway We're All Devo The Complete Truth About De-Evolution Devo Live Devo Live in the Land of the Rising Sun Devo Live 1980
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Energy Dome Devo discography Devo 2.0 Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers Church of the SubGenius The Network
Categories: 1978 singles | Devo songs
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