Uncontrollable Urge

Song Name: Uncontrollable Urge

Artist: DEVO

Appears On:

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction b/w Uncontrollable Urge (edit),

DEV-O Live (Re-release only), Now It Can Be Told, Greatest Hits, DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years, Best Of DEVO Vol. 1, Live In Central Park, DEVO Live 1980,

Hot Potatoes, Pioneers Who Got Scalped, Live 1981 Seattle, Live at Max's Kansas City - November 15, 1977, Butch Devo And The Sundance Gig
and other compilations^Discogs

Run Time: 3:08 (album version)

Year Released: 1978 (album version)

Years Performed: 1976 to present ^{setlist.fm stats}

Writing Credits: Mark Mothersbaugh

Sung By: Mark Mothersbaugh (lead vox), Bob Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale (backing vox)

Shorter Version: Uncontrollable Urge (edit) (2:15)

Alternate Versions: TechnoDEVO version, Devo 2.0 version

Demo Versions: Uncontrollable Urge (demo 1), Uncontrollable Urge (demo 2) (about 3:06)

Trivia / Info:[]

The opening riff is similar to The Beatles's "I Wanna Hold Your Hand",^[1] the first track from their US debut LP, "Meet The Beatles".

The song is reminiscent of The Beatles's "She Loves You" with the incessant "Yeah Yeah Yeah" chant.

The lyrics used to have a different second verse. [1],[2]

The odd chime during the outro on the album version comes from a German guitar amp found by Bob 1. When someone touched the end of a guitar cable plugged into the amp, it would make the sound.

A re-recorded version for Devo 2.0 changes the lyrics from implied masturbation to an explicit desire for between-meal snacks.

Stems (multitracks) re-recorded in 2008 for a video game are available from Booji Boy’s Basement.

Onstage Behavior:

Uncontrollable Urge, performed live, usually involves very tight choreography with band members pivoting in place, jumping on the synthesizer swoop, and moving into a formation and marching in place during the song's conclusion.

Starting on the 1996 Lollapalooza tour, Mark would rip parts of other members yellow suits off during the song. In 2004, Jerry Casale slipped on a suit fragment, injuring his back.

Lyrics:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah!

Got an urge, got a surge, and it's out of control

Got an urge I wanna purge, 'cause I'm losing control

Uncontrollable urge, I wanna tell you all about it

Got an uncontrollable urge that make me, scream and shout it!

(He's got an uncontrollable urge...) I've got an uncontrollable...

(He's got an uncontrollable urge...) I've got an uncontrollable,

(Nein-nein-nein-nein-nien-nien-nien) It's got style, it's got class

(Nein-nein-nein-nein-nien-nien-nien) So strong, I can't let it pass!

(Nein-nein-nein-nein-nien) I gotta tell you all about it

(Nein-nein-nein-nein-nien) I gotta scream and shout it!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah!

Got an urge, got a surge and it's out of control now

Got an urge I wanna purge 'cause I'm losing control

Uncontrollable urge, I wanna tell you all about it

Got an uncontrollable urge, it make me scream and shout it!

[That’s right!]

(He's got an uncontrollable urge...) I've got an uncontrollable...

(He's got an uncontrollable urge...) I've got an uncontrollable,

(Nein-nein-nein-nein-nien-nien-nien) It's got style, it's got class

(Nein-nein-nein-nein-nien-nien-nien) So strong, I can't let it pass,

(Nein-nein-nein-nein-nien) I gotta tell you all about it

(Nein-nein-nein-nein-nien) I gotta scream and shout it!

I got an uncontrollable urge, I wanna tell you all about it,

An uncontrollable urge, make me scream and shout it!

And I say yah   [He says yah!]

And I say yea-ah   [He says yea-ah!]

And I say yah   [Yah!]

And I say yea-ah   [Yea-ah!]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah!

Live Video: "Uncontrollable Urge" appears in:

The Men Who Make The Music

Live 1980,   Live,   Live In The Land Of The Rising Sun

Urgh! A Music War

Notes and References:

↑
Alan di Perna. “Oh, No, it’s DEVO – again”. Music & Sound Output, (1988, June).

“...The first chords of ‘Uncontrollable Urge,’ which starts off that whole album, are the opening chords of ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand.’ ” - Mark (1988)

External Links:

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction b/w Uncontrollable Urge (Edit) [WB, US] Discogs

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction b/w Uncontrollable Urge (Edit) [WB, US] 45cat

Uncontrollable Urge (releases) MusicBrainz

Uncontrollable Urge (overview) AllMusic

Internal Links:

Current Shows | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2016 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1991 | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 | 1982 | 1981 | 1980 | 1979 | 1978 | 1977 | 1976 | 1975 | 1974 | 1973

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

[1] 
Alan di Perna. “Oh, No, it’s DEVO – again”. Music & Sound Output, (1988, June).

“...The first chords of ‘Uncontrollable Urge,’ which starts off that whole album, are the opening chords of ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand.’ ” - Mark (1988)

[1]