Song Name: Peek-A-Boo!
Artist: DEVO
Appears On:
- Peek•A•Boo! b/w Find Out, oh, no! it's DEVO, Greatest Hits, Pioneers Who Got Scalped, Social Fools: The Virgin Singles 1978-1982 (single/album version)
- "DEVO Muzak" - E-Z Listening Cassette Volume 2, E-Z Listening Disc (EZ version)
Run Time: 3:01 (single/album version)
Year Recorded: 1982 (September)[1]
Year Released: 1982 (single/album version)
Years Performed: [2] 1982, 2006 to 2008 and 2010 to 2014, 2019 and 2021 to 2022.
Writing Credits: Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald V. Casale
Sung By: Mark Mothersbaugh (lead)
Alternate Versions:
- Peek 'A' Boo! (EZ)
- Dance Velocity, DEVO Dub
- Devo 2.0 version
Demo Versions: Peek-A-Boo (demo)
- Officially unreleased. Take 2 and take 3 on Booji Boy's Basement release "D003- Oh, No! It's Demos!"
Song Connections: Might Not Live Forever, I Don't Know What I Do (similar lyrics)
Trivia / Info:[]
- The early song "I Don't Know What I Do Do" contains the line "if i don't see it, it isn't there"
- Booji's speech in the Worried Man film clip contains the line "if they can't see it, it isn't there!"
- This song's music video is the second DEVO video to feature Spazz Attack, this time as the "Evil Clown." (He first featured in Satisfaction and then appeared in Come Back Jonee.) An alternate footage edit was used in the concert backing film
- At the final verse, after each "Ha! Ha! Ha!," the Pirate onscreen kicks, and a member of DEVO falls down, leaving Jerry standing with his hand to his mouth, shocked.
- A vocoder was used to make the "Ha! Ha! Ha!" vocal effect, according to the "Re-Recording Log - 9/16/82"
- During the Peek-A-Boo! music video, film clips are used from The Truth About De-Evolution, Satisfaction, and Girl U Want
- The siren heard in the song is sampled from a personal rape alarm
- Everybody has their shadow or dark side and is capable of being evil. That was the impetus for “Peek-A-Boo,” with the lyrics exposing the person trying to hide behind the mask. - Jerry (2023)[3]
Onstage Behavior:
- During the 1982 tour, DEVO performed the song in front of a large screen featuring edited background visuals similar to the interactive music video, and used similar stage choreography. The Pirate kicks Mark down twice, and also Jerry (but not also Bob1 and Bob2, as in the music video).
- As with other DEVO tour videos, the Peek-A-Boo! backing visuals are edited differently than the music video, and contain clips not seen in the music video, some not suitable for all ages. One addition is a drum break paired with the spasmodic Evil Clown. (see "Live Video" below)
- DEVO performed to playback on Solid Gold with no backing video. Spazz Attack appeared live as the Evil Clown to mime the Ha Ha Ha's.[4]
- During performances in 2006, Michael Pilmer walked across the stage during the "Ha! Ha! Ha!" section dressed as Osama Bin Laden.
Lyrics: Peek-A-Boo! - LyricWikia
- peek-a-boo!
- i can see you
- and i know what you do
- so put your hands on your face
- and cover up your eyes
- don't look until i signal
- peek-a-boo!
- (ha! ha! ha!)
- (ha! ha! ha!)
- peek-a-boo!
- (ha! ha! ha!)
- (ha! ha! ha!)
- peek-a-boo!
- the way that we weren't is what we'll become
- so please pay attention while i show you some
- of what's about to happen
- peek-a-boo!
- i know what you do
- cause i do it too
- laugh if you want to or say you don't care
- if you cannot see it you think it's not there
- it doesn't work that way
Video:[]
- Appears on We're All DEVO, The Complete Truth About De-Evolution
Live Video:
References:
- ↑ Internet Archive. "Re-Recording Log - 9/16/82".
- ↑ DEVO Live Guide. Website keyword search for "peek-a-boo".
- ↑ Turner, D. (2023, January 6). A Few Minutes with Gerald V. Casale of Devo: Devo's cult status remains indelible. Co-founder Gerald V. Casale reminisces about the band and its longstanding association with Roland. Roland. articles.roland com/a-few-minutes-with-gerald-v-casale-of-devo/ From archive.org.
During my college days, I had an incredible philosophy professor who got us all going on Carl Jung and the duality of human nature. We embody the best and the worst. Everybody has their shadow or dark side and is capable of being evil. That was the impetus for “Peek-A-Boo,” with the lyrics exposing the person trying to hide behind the mask. Mark’s sequencer lines were getting scarier sounding. It was good nasty, so I started deconstructing that with everybody else in the studio.
- ↑ YouTube. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLY7CZutpFY 'Peek-A-Boo by DEVO (1982)" Solid Gold, 1982. uploaded by Miscellaneous Debris.
External Links:
- Peek-A-Boo! (master release) -- Discogs
- Peek-A-Boo! b/w Find Out (WB US single) -- 45cat
- Peek-A-Boo (overview) -- AllMusic
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