# DEVO Song: Whats This Mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265 "2007-05-08T16:10:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/1 "2007-05-08T16:10:05Z")
A local AM station was playing an old DEVO song-I can’t get it out of my head: “so you need to whip, whip it good”-what was this song about? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/2 "2007-05-08T16:12:49Z")
If you have a problem, you can overcome it. (Officially, at least). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/3 "2007-05-08T16:27:21Z")
It was written as a parody of that “You can do it!”, “Go get 'em, Tiger!” positive thinking mindset that had been sold to so many Americans in the 70’s and 80’s, the Zig Zigler/Dale Carnegiesque chart your course to success mentality. \*when a problem comes along you must whip it \ when something’s going wrong you must whip it \* ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/4 "2007-05-08T16:29:48Z")
It’s about nitrous oxide and the consumption thereof by America’s impressionable youth. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/5 "2007-05-08T16:37:46Z")
Thanks-I though the song was about some weird S&M cult :smack: ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/6 "2007-05-08T16:42:13Z")
Think how confused you’d be if you’d seen the video. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/7 "2007-05-08T16:48:16Z")
Luuuuuurrrves that song. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/8 "2007-05-08T16:53:06Z")
As with a lot of Devo stuff, this song is a joke on several different levels. It’s a parody of positive thinking. It’s a joke about S&M. It’s a joke against rock and roll pretention. It’s actually a well-crafted song. It’s a meta-joke about meta-jokes. It’s a dessert topping. It’s a floorwax. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/9 "2007-05-08T16:54:31Z")
I’m soaking in it right now. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/10 "2007-05-08T17:00:50Z")
I thought it was about masturbation! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/11 "2007-05-08T20:01:50Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] I thought it was about masturbation! :smack: [/QUOTE] Well, **Lemur** did say it’s a dessert topping. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/12 "2007-05-08T20:11:17Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene] It’s about nitrous oxide and the consumption thereof by America’s impressionable youth. [/QUOTE] No, no, no; it’s about those weird-looking, skinny dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Unix\_Geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unix_geek/32/19368_2.png) [@Unix\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unix_Geek)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/13 "2007-05-08T21:10:02Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] I thought it was about masturbation! :smack: [/QUOTE] No, that was “Turning Japanese” by The Vapors ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/14 "2007-05-09T01:08:43Z")
[QUOTE=Unix Geek] No, that was “Turning Japanese” by The Vapors [/QUOTE] No, it was “Pictures of Lily” by the Who. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/15 "2007-05-09T01:17:44Z")
If a problem comes along, I don’t whip it. I [dare to be stupid.](http://musicbox.sonybmg.com/video/weird_al_yankovic?bcpid=156431805&bclid=151750197&bctid=336010673) I can’t hear you! Okay, I can hear you now! ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/16 "2007-05-09T03:34:30Z")
Whipping it. Good. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/17 "2007-05-09T04:25:15Z")
[QUOTE=vivalostwages] No, it was “Pictures of Lily” by the Who. [/QUOTE] Actually, I think it was “Uncontrollable Urge” by…Devo. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/18 "2007-05-09T04:26:04Z")
I thought it was about Thomas Pynchon. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/19 "2007-05-09T14:19:37Z")
It wasn’t about Thomas Pynchon per se, but it was done with his particular style of parody, namely that embodied in Gravity’s Rainbow. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265/20 "2007-05-09T14:34:47Z")
[QUOTE=woodstockbirdybird] Actually, I think it was “Uncontrollable Urge” by…Devo. [/QUOTE] No, that’s “Nights in White Satin” by the Moody Blues [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devo-song-whats-this-mean/403265.md?page=2)