Song Name: Some Things Never Change
Artist: DEVO
Released Versions:
- “Some Things Never Change” (demo) (5:27) – Recombo DNA[1]
- “Some Things Never Change” (Cassette Version) (5:19) – Total Devo [CD][2]
- “Some Things Never Change” (4:13) – Total Devo[3]
- “Some Things Never Change” – Neuromancer[4]
Related Demo:
- “Some Things Don't Change” (ROUGH MIX) (2:55) – Recombo DNA[1]
Writing Credits: Mark Mothersbaugh / Gerald V. Casale
Sung By:
- Mark Mothersbaugh (lead), Gerald V. Casale (additional, co-lead), Sampled Cheerleader vocals (additional vox)
Trivia / Info:[]
- Quotes The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life”
- Some original lyrics from “Some Things Don't Change” were subsequently included in the demo and cassette versions of "Some Things Never Change".
Lyrics - Some Things Never Change[]
- [A-Z Lyrics com]
(intro) (hang your head) (hang your head) (head,) (head-hang) (____ ______ __–___) (____ ______ __–___) (Some things ne–ver) change. (Some things ne–ver) change. (Hang your head!) (Hang your head!) I saw the news today, oh boy! (hang your head) A thousand stories that we've seen before (hang your head) Small minds play at some big time games And everybody else pays Make no mistake, they're on the take They like to keep it that way (Some things ne–ver) change. (Some things ne–ver) change. I saw the light today, oh boy. (Hang your head!) It came on flashing bright, in red and blue (Hang your head!) (Man steps in with a terminal grin) (Blue skies turn to gray) (Young men die and the children cry,) (Why is it always the same?) (guitar solo) (hang your head) (x3) I saw the news today, oh,boy! (hang your head) A thousand pictures of the lies we live (hang your head) (Small minds play at some big time games) (And everybody else pays) (hang your head) (They're on the take, and they don't give breaks) (They like to take it away) (Some things ne–ver) change. (Hang your head!) (Some things ne–ver) change. (Hang your head!) (The man steps in with a terminal grin) (Blue skies turn to gray) (hang your head) (Young men die, and the children cry,) (Why is it always the same?) (Hang your head!) (Hang your head!) (Hang your head!) (outro)
Lyrics - Some Things Never Change (Demo)[]
(intro) [aH‑aH‑],[Oohwa],[aH-aH-][A-] [A-A-] [Owe][ee ee-ee-ee, ee-ee] [ooh],[a-],[ooh],[a-] (hang your head)[a-],[ee], [a-](hang your head)[a-], [ee],(head), (head)–(hang),[oh] ([ee] [ee] [ee] [ee]) ([ee] [ee] [ee] [ee]) (Hang your head) (Hang your head) [ee-ee](Some things ne–ver) change. [ee] [ee] [ee] [ee] (Some things ne–ver) change. [ee] [ee] [ee] [ee] (Hang your head!) (Hang your head!) I saw the news today – oh,boy! (Hang your head) A thousand stories that we've seen before (Hang your head) Small minds play at some big time games And everybody else pays (Make no mis–take, they're on the take) – They like to keep it that way (Some things ne–ver) change. (Some things ne–ver) change. I saw the light today, oh, boy. (Hang your head!) It came on flashing bright, in red and blue (Hang your head!) The man steps in with a terminal grin Blue skies turn to gray (Young men die, and the children cry,) (Why is it always the same?) [Ech]-[oh] (x5) (Hang your head!) [oh] (x2) [Ech]-[oh] (x5) Life[LIFE][life]must be eaten,or at least bitten into [bitten into] [ooewh-] (x3) To get past the surface, the moment of truth. [ooewh-] (x5) You know when it's right, it's sweet deep inside [ooewh-] (x3) It's real-and it's better that some things don't change [ooewh-] (x5) [ooewh-], [ooewh-], (x4) [ewh], [ach!], (x4) (guitar solo) [uwaeeh][a-] (x4) [a-] (x6) (Hang your head) [a-] (x6)) (Hang your head) [Ech]-[oh] (x6) (Hang your head) [Ech]-[oh] (x6) (end solo) I saw the news today – oh boy! [a-] (x6) – (Hang your head) A thousand pictures of the lies we live [a-] (x6) – (Hang your head) Small minds play at some big time games – [Ech]-[oh] (x4), And everybody else pays [Ech]-[oh] (x2). (Hang your head) (They're on the take, and they don't give breaks) [Ech]-[oh] (x4), (They like to take it away) [Ech]-[oh] (x2). [aH‑aH‑],[Oohwa],[aH-aH-][A-] [A-A-] [Owe][ee ee-ee-ee, ee-ee] [ooh],[a-],[ooh],[a-] [hang your head][a-],[ee], [a-][hang your head][a-], [ee],[head], [head]–[hang],[oh] (Some things ne–ver) change. (Hang your head!) (Some things ne–ver) change. (Hang your head!) (Man steps in with a terminal grin) – (Blue skies turn to gray) (Hang your head) (Young men die, and the children cry,) (Why is it always the same?) [a-] (x6) (Hang your head!) [a-] (x6) (Hang your head!) [Ech]-[oh] (x6) (Hang your head) (outro) [Ech]-[oh] (x6)
Lyrics - Some Things Don't Change (Rough Mix)[]
(intro) [oh my god.] Way out west, where the sun never sets a man with a gun finally faces the test - [pop!] The girls in France do a special dance - with blindfolded eyes they move around in a trance It's the way of the world It's the world, it's the way we liiive liiive liiive So things could be different ‒ or could they? It seems pretty hard to believe Because if they could be, they probably would be ‒ it's best not to wait until then Life must be peeled, or at least bitten into ‒ To get past the surface ‒ a moment of truth You know when it's right, it's sweet deep inside It's real and it's better that some things don't change [yeah!] For centuries, self could not be seen ‒ except in the mind ‒ before eMpTV It's the way of the world It's the world, it's the way we liiive liiive liiive So things could be different ‒ or could they? It seems pretty hard to believe Because if they could be, they probably would be ‒ it's best not to wait until then [go!] (instrumental break) Life must be peeled, or at least bitten into ‒ To get past the surface ‒ a moment of truth You know when it's right, it's sweet deep inside It's real, and it's better that some things don't change It's the way of the world It's the world, it's the way we live. It's the way of the world, It's the world, it's the way we liiive liiive liiive
Additional Info:[]
- A chiptune of "Some Things Never Change" was included in each platform release of the text-based video game Neuromancer.
- The cyberpunk genre had several sources.[9]
Spelling
- "Some Things Don't Change" was recorded in about 1983. The title influenced the later "Some Things Never Change"
- It includes the lyrics:
- Life must be peeled, or at least bitten into
- To get past the surface, a moment of truth
- You know when it's right, it's sweet deep inside
- It's real and it's better that some things don't change
- The "Some Things Never Change" demo, and cassette version include this verse, with "eaten" substituted for "peeled", and "the moment" replacing "a moment".
- Mark pronounces "stories" like "starries", in the "Some Things Never Change" demo.
References:
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
- Recombo DNA (2000) [+ compilation reissues]
- Sequence B - CD 2, track 7
- Some Things Don't Change (ROUGH MIX) (2:55) [1984]
- https://musicbrainz.org/recording/ebd34555-a1b4-4834-aa33-45fcef97335e
- Sequence B - CD 2, track 15
- Some Things Never Change (Demo) (5:28) [1988]
- https://musicbrainz.org/recording/e98cd07f-55f1-4bcd-b5f2-14eb5652473b
- ↑
- Total Devo [+ album reissues]
- “Some Things Never Change” (Cassette Version) (5:19) [CD: D2-73303]
- ↑
- “Some Things Never Change” (4:13)
- Total Devo [+ album reissues]
- 50 Years of De-Evolution (1973-2023) [2023 remaster]
- https://musicbrainz.org/recording/0fd6aee4-8f89-457c-9725-5b1c500cf395
- ↑
- “Some Things Never Change” – Neuromancer
- Variations:
- Commodore 64 [instrumental + lyric loop]
- Amiga [instrumental loop]
- Apple 2, Apple 2 GS [instrumental loop]
- DOS [instrumental loop]
- ↑
- Leary:
- Guy Wright, Editor-In-Chief. “Cyberpunk and Psychedelia”, Notepad, Edited by Linda Barrow. Amiga World Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 5 (1988, May): 12
- “DR. TIMOTHY LEARY (infamous psychedelic researcher of the '60s) is providing the organization, private promotion and psychic backing. Amiga artist Brummbar Oust one name and you'll be hearing it often In the future) is creating the art and animation.
- Devo (Mark Mothersbaugh and his brother Bob of the band Devo both use Amigas) Is composing the music, and Interplay is doing the programming. The star-studded project Is a game, more accurately called a mind play or performance book, hinging on William Gibson's novel, Neuromancer, one of the first books In a new science-fiction genre called cyberpunk.”
- 1986 - “Cabana Boy Productions” Advertisement:
- https://archive.org/details/confederation-worldcon/Program%20Book/page/n6/mode/1up?q=%22DEVO%22+%22Neuromancer%22
- https://archive.org/details/jonur_Ltew3/page/n32/mode/1up?q=DEVO+Neuromancer
- “This issue’s example of language technology in action is an excerpt from Canadian William Gibson’s novel Neuromancer. Neuromancer, which has won all the major science fiction awards, has achieved cult status and is being turned into a “mind movie” program by Timothy Leary and his software company Futique, with the help of William Burroughs. Jack Nicholson, Helmut Newton, Devo, Keith Haring, Merril Streep and William Gibson himself.”
- Timothy Leary. Chaos & Cyber Culture (1994)
- Leary: “Quantum Sex”: https://archive.org/details/chaoscybercultur0000lear/page/149/mode/1up?q=DEVO+
- ↑
- “The Sound of Music”, Winds of Progress Unleashed in “Windy City” : “Computer Entertainment Software & The Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago”, Computer Gaming World #49 (1988, July): 8
- “...Neuromancer will feature an original song by DEVO. The song. Some Things Never Change, was originally written for the computer program...”
- ↑
- Shay Addams. “Cyberspaced out in Interplay’s Neuromancer”, QuestBusters : The Adventurers’ Journal, Vol. V, #12 (1988, December)
- “Rock band Devo did the theme song, which plays intermittently but not so often that you wind up humming it in the shower if you don't turn the sound down while playing.
- You'll hear a more elaborate version, with digitized vocals, that accompanies the title screen.
- The Apple version boasts double hi-res graphics, but obviously the sound won't be as good.”
- ↑
- https://archive.org/details/ComputerGamesMag120/page/n59/mode/1up?q=DEVO+Neuromancer
- “William Gibson’s cyberpunk classic was a fantastic adventure game, with a score by Devo that played through your PC speaker. Yes, that was as frightening as it sounds.”
- 1988 - Neuromancer video game magazine advertisement:
- https://archive.org/details/computes.gazette/Compute_Gazette_Issue_66_1988_Dec/page/n122/mode/1up?q=DEVO
- ↑
- https://archive.org/details/williamgibson0000olse/page/13/mode/1up?q=DEVO
- “...Cyberpunk has done no more than develop trends already present in a number of previous texts, such as those by New Wave writers like Harlan Ellison, Samuel Delany, Philip K. Dick, Brian Aldiss, and J. G. Ballard. David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust pose, Laurie Anderson, and Devo also figure into the cyberpunk equation. One of the most influential earlier sources has, of course, been the work of Thomas Pynchon, for whom the cyberpunks hold “special admiration.” Pynchon’s ‘ntegration of technology and literature stands unsurpassed’.”
Links:
- Internal Links
- Lyrics as printed in Total DEVO releases:
- some things never change
- hang your head
- i saw the news today o boy
- a thousand stories that we've seen before
- small minds play at some big time games
- and everybody else pays
- make no mistake theyre on the take
- they like to keep it that way
- some things never change
- i saw the light today o boy
- it came on flashing bright in red and blue
- the man steps in with a terminal grin
- blue skies turn to grey
- young men die and children cry
- why is it always the same
- life must be eaten
- or at least bitten into
- to get past the surface
- the moment of truth
- you know when its right
- its sweet deep inside
- its real and its better
- that some things dont change
- i saw the news today o boy
- a thousand pictures of the lies we live
- small minds play at some big time games
- and everybody else pays
- theyre on the take and they dont give breaks
- they like to take it away
- some things never change
- hang your head