Be Stiff

Song Name: Be Stiff

Artist: DEVO

Appears On:

• Be Stiff (single), Be Stiff EP, Greatest Misses, Hot Potatoes, Pioneers Who Got Scalped (single version)
• Hardcore Volume 2,  Recombo DNA (demo versions)

• DEV-O Live, Live 1980 (1980 live versions)

Year Released: 1977 (single version)

Years Performed: 1974, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1991, 2009, 2014

Run Time: about 2:32 to 2:35 (single/EP/compilation version)

Writing Credits: Gerald V. Casale, Bob Lewis

Sung By: Gerald V. Casale

Alternate Versions: Be Stiff (Hardcore Version)

Song Connections: None

Trivia / Info:

• This song is one of the most covered in DEVO's repertoire, having an entire album of covers released by Stiff Records

• A cover version of Be Stiff was recorded by Toni Basil on her first album Word of Mouth with DEVO providing the backing tracks and the repeating "be stiff" chorus (heard at about 2 minutes into the song).

Onstage Behavior:

• On the 1980 tour, Mark performed jumping jacks throughout Be Stiff with the exception of a brief synthesizer part during the bridge.

Lyrics:

fruit ooze is wetly lewd

so stay dry in rubber boots and

be stiff b-abies be stiff

cucumbers ripe and rude

bend over fixed to shoot and

be stiff b-abies be stiff

breath hard in metal suits

live right make lots of loot and

be stiff b-abies be stiff

white/wet women waste your food

so go solo no no two's and

be stiff b-abies be stiff

deep sleepers jerk the root

watch out for fruits and mutes and

be stiff b-abies be stiff

Live Video: Concert footage on DEVO Live 1980 (CD+DVD).

References:

External Links:

Wikipedia article

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