A Satirical Synth-Pop Anthem Cloaked in Nonsense
The enduring new wave hit “Whip It” by the American band Devo is, at its core, a sardonic, tongue-in-cheek satire of hollow American optimism and the “can-do” clichĂ©s of capitalist culture.
The De-Evolutionary Breakthrough 🚀
For many of us who lived through the transition from the rock-driven 1970s into the synthesized sounds of the ’80s, few songs captured the bewildering, vibrant energy of the emerging new wave quite like “Whip It.” Released on August 25, 1980, as the second single from the band’s third studio album, ‘Freedom of Choice’, this quirky, propulsive track instantly became the song that catapulted Devo—the quirky art-punk pioneers from Akron, Ohio—from underground cult status to mainstream ubiquity. The single, with its insistent beat, stuttering synths, and cryptic lyrics, peaked at No. 14 on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. While its success in the UK was more modest, reaching No. 51 on the Official Singles Chart, its true cultural impact was cemented in the US thanks to the nascent music television landscape. The arrival of MTV in 1981, with its ravenous appetite for distinctive visual content, provided the perfect platform for the song’s bizarre and memorable music video, ensuring its longevity and firmly cementing the image of the band in their signature red Energy Dome hats.
The Story Behind the Whip đź¤
The story behind “Whip It” is as delightfully subversive as the band itself. Devo, short for ‘de-evolution,’ was founded on the satirical concept that humanity was regressing, rather than evolving, a dark, insightful commentary stemming from founding members Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh’s experiences at Kent State University, particularly the 1970 shootings. By 1980, the band consciously shifted their sound from their earlier guitar-driven art-punk to a more electronic, danceable style influenced by acts like Prince and the Gap Band, wanting to inject their peculiar philosophy into a more accessible format.
The song’s seemingly nonsensical, motivational-sounding lyrics—”When a problem comes along, you must whip it,” “Go forward, move ahead,” “Whip it good”—were penned by bassist Gerald Casale. The surprising inspiration came from his reading of Thomas Pynchon’s 1973 postmodern novel, ‘Gravity’s Rainbow,’ specifically the sections containing satirical limericks that lampooned American “can-do” clichĂ©s—the Horatio Alger, “you’re number one” self-help mantras that dominated the popular mindset. Casale simply wanted to write his own Pynchon-esque limerick, taking these motivational phrases and stripping them of all sincerity to expose their vacuity.
However, in one of the greatest ironies that perfectly illustrates Devo’s de-evolutionary thesis, the public overwhelmingly misinterpreted the song. Many listeners, including radio DJs, assumed the lyrics were a thinly veiled double entendre for either masturbation or sadomasochism. In a stroke of pure, performance-art genius, the band—realizing this misunderstanding only served to amplify their message about the herd mentality of American society—chose to lean into the misinterpretation with their iconic music video. Directed by Casale, the video was purportedly inspired by a magazine article about a dude ranch owner who used a bullwhip to strip a woman of her clothes for guests. The resultant video, featuring Mark Mothersbaugh whip it good in a bizarre ranch setting, ensured the popular but incorrect reading became the prevailing cultural narrative, much to Devo’s sardonic amusement.
For those of us who remember those times, “Whip It” is more than just a novelty song. It’s the sonic embodiment of the 1980s zeitgeist, a perfect blend of high-concept satire and undeniable pop catchiness. It serves as a nostalgic reminder of when music could be both deeply strange and universally embraced, a testament to the power of a synth hook and a truly weird vision. It’s a track that still makes you want to put on your own red plastic hat and crack that metaphorical whip, even if, deep down, you know you’re laughing at the de-evolution all around you.