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One Dumb Thing

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Song Name: One Dumb Thing

Artist:  DEVO

Appears On:  

"Interstate '82"   [video game soundtrack][1]
"Pioneers Who Got Scalped"[2]   [compilation]
"New Traditionalists" (Deluxe Edition)   [bonus track][3]
"50 Years Of DE-EVOLUTION (1973-2023)"   [2023 Remaster][4]

Run Time:   2:45  

Writing Credits:   Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald V. Casale

Sung By:   Jerry

Trivia / Info:[]

  • Demo “recorded June 1982” at Cherokee Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA. “Restored and remixed Nov 1998”. [1]

Lyrics:

(intro)
One dumb thing, is how it starts
One dumb thing, is all it takes
One dumb thing, leads to another
One dumb thing, is how it started
One dumb thing, is all he said
One dumb thing, led to another
Now it's over 'cause of one dumb thing
A glance, a stance, a broken romance
A disconnected telephone
What's behind it? How to define it?
Makes the world go around and around and around
One dumb thing, is how it started
One dumb thing, is all she did
One dumb thing, led to another
One dumb thing, is the beginning
One dumb thing, it never ends
One dumb thing, goes right on making
More and more of one dumb thing
(synth solo)
A glance, a stance, a broken romance
A disconnected telephone
What's behind it? How to define it?
Makes the world go around and around and around


Video:

Short Film / Music Video – None
Appears on the soundtrack of the home video game “Interstate ‘82”.
Fan Videos:
“Devo – One Dumb Thing” uploaded to YouTube by Mono Amalia from Moneramalia
Short - “What's one dumb thing you got into this year? I got into this band called Devo #music #devo #newmusic” uploaded to YouTube by Mr. Mohawk Man

Additional Info:

Some cover versions are available at BBB:
boojiboysbasement.com/?s=%22One+Dumb+Thing%22
Spelling / Orthography
Unlike 37, numerals are spelled out in "One Dumb Thing".

References:

  1. ↑
    “One Dumb Thing” (2:45)  (video game soundtrack)  
    "Interstate '82" (1999)
    [PC CD-ROM home game]
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_%2782
  2. ↑
    “One Dumb Thing” (2:45)  
    "Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology" (2000)
    [compilation]  CD 2   track 5
    https://musicbrainz.org/release/3807381c-24d0-41d0-b1db-39eb31eaadaa/disc/2#f32e9adf-8852-3c1c-8d41-01585da5887a
    https://www.discogs.com/master/1265468-Devo-Pioneers-Who-Got-Scalped-The-Anthology
  3. ↑
    “One Dumb Thing” (bonus track) (2:46)  
    "New Traditionalists" (Deluxe Edition) (2010)
    [expanded reissue]   remastered CD   track 12
    https://musicbrainz.org/release/1d323603-7ac3-4b92-a527-2bc6232b24d2/disc/1#a8df5fe7-c4f0-4939-938d-599365bd7da7
    https://www.discogs.com/release/2884028-Devo-New-Traditionalists
    https://open.spotify.com/track/73xo9H946df7xn27pROQA3
    https://music.apple.com/us/song/one-dumb-thing/370991621
  4. ↑
    “One Dumb Thing” (2023 Remaster) (2:43)  
    "50 Years Of DE-EVOLUTION (1973-2023)" (2023)
    [remastered box set]   CD 2   track 14, Vinyl side F   track 7
    https://musicbrainz.org/recording/93e0d2fc-14c8-4cec-a080-172d593f0fcc
    https://open.spotify.com/track/1HdFzMyDG4BCfgkmGfThWj

Links:

https://musicbrainz.org/search?query=+%22one+dumb+thing%22&type=recording&method=indexed
https://www.discogs.com/master/52697-Devo-New-Traditionalists
https://www.discogs.com/master/1265468-Devo-Pioneers-Who-Got-Scalped-The-Anthology
https://www.discogs.com/master/3283633-Devo-50-Years-Of-De-Evolution-1973-2023


DEVO
Mark Mothersbaugh | Gerry Casale | Bob Mothersbaugh
Bob Lewis | Bob Casale | Jim Mothersbaugh | Alan Myers
David Kendrick | Josh Freese
Jeff Friedl | Josh Hager
Record Labels / Publishers
Booji Boy Records | Warner Brothers | Enigma | Devo, Inc. 
Stiff | Virgin | Rykodisk | Infinite Zero | Restless | Discovery | Rhino 
MVD Audio | The Orchard | Superior Viaduct | Futurismo
Production
Brian Eno | Ken Scott | Robert Margouleff | Roy Thomas Baker | DEVO 
The Teddybears | Greg Kurstin | Santi White | John King | John Hill | Mark Nishita 
Studio Albums
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978) | Duty Now For The Future (1979) | Freedom of Choice (1980) | New Traditionalists (1981) | oh, no! it's Devo (1982) | Shout (1984) | Total Devo (1988) | SmoothNoodleMaps (1990) | Something for Everybody   (2010)
Compilations / Live Albums
B Stiff EP (1978) | E-Z Listening Disc (1987) | Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace (1989) | Hardcore DEVO Vol. 1 74-77 (1990) | Hardcore DEVO Vol. 2 1974-1977 (1991) | DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years (1992) | DEV-O Live (1999) | Recombo DNA (2000) | Live In Central Park (2004) | DEVO Live 1980 (2005) | New Traditionalists: Live 1981 Seattle (2012) | Something ELSE for Everybody  (2013) | Miracle Witness Hour  (2014) | Live at Max's Kansas City - November 15, 1977  (2014) | Butch Devo and the Sundance Gig  (2014) | Hardcore DEVO Live!  (2015) | Art Devo 1973-1977  (2023)
Filmography
In The Beginning Was The End: The Truth About De-Evolution (1976) | The Men Who Make The Music (1981) | Human Highway (1982) | We're All DEVO (1984) | The Complete Truth About De-Evolution (1993) | DEVO Live (2004) | DEVO Live In The Land Of The Rising Sun (2004) | DEVO Live 1980 (2005) | Butch Devo and the Sundance Gig  (2014) | Hardcore DEVO Live!  (2015)
Related Articles
History | Bootlegs | Booji Boy | Devolution | Influence | The Wipeouters | Jihad Jerry & The Evildoers | Devo 2.0 | Akron, Ohio | Kent, Ohio | Music Videos | Cover Versions | Outfits
DEVO: The Brand / DEVO: Unmasked
U S E  Y O U R  F R E E D O M  O F  C H O I C E


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