My Top 1000 Songs #739: Jocko Homo

[I've been writing up my Top 1000 songs on a daily basis--you can see them all in descending order by hitting the All My Favorite Songs tag.] 

I've previously written about Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge," also from the band's 1978 debut Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo. So maybe just go re-read that one, way back at #369 on this list. Because they're kinda flip-sides of the same coin. But while "Urge" had a relatively straightforward new wave pop backing its utter strangeness, "Jocko Homo" (originally released in a slower version as a 1977 single, and giving the '78 LP its title) is the purest, most definitive example of early Devo--unique, experimental, unlike anything that came before it, and utterly life-changing. It was one of the first songs I heard that made me think--wow, there really aren't any rules, you can do pretty much anything with music. Which is a pretty revolutionary idea for a young kid raised on Top 40 AM radio.

And even more so than "Urge," I don't think I ever listen to "Jock Homo" on my stereo. If I feel like hearing it, which happens every now and then, I need to see it on YouTube. Because I first experienced the song through the video, on late night cable, and the song doesn't really exist for me without the visuals. It was one of those things you experience at some point, right on the cusp of outgrowing childhood, and suddenly everything you think you understand about the universe has changed.

Original 1977 single version, with complete introduction:

Much faster 1978 album version:

Live 1978: