| "Freedom of Choice" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Devo | ||||
| from the album Freedom of Choice | ||||
| B-side | "Snowball" | |||
| Released | December 29, 1980 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:28 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Devo singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Freedom of Choice" on YouTube | ||||
"Freedom of Choice" is a song by the American new wave band Devo, written by Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale. It appears on the studio album of the same name.
The line, "In ancient Rome there was a poem about a dog who found two bones. He picked at one, he licked the other, he went in circles 'till he dropped dead", resembles the Buridan's ass paradox about the nature of free will, with a dog changed for the donkey who dies when he can't decide which bone to eat. Ultimate Classic Rock critic Dave Swanson refers to this line as "a sarcastic view of the main subject".[1]
Record World said that the song had "a pounding rhythm with fight-song choruses."[2] Swanson rated "Freedom of Choice" as Devo's 10th best song, particularly praising its riff.[1]
The single itself has no defined A or B side and instead instructs buyers to "Use your Freedom of Choice" in deciding which song is on which side. The cover and label include two empty checkboxes on either side which allow either "Freedom of Choice" or "Snowball" to be the A or B side.
Promotional music video
In the music video to "Freedom of Choice", the band appeared as aliens. This video also featured professional skateboarders of the day.
Chart performance
| Chart (1980) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100[3][4] | 103 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs | 8 |
| Australia ARIA Top 100[5] | 71 |
References
- 1 2 Swanson, Dave (July 11, 2013). "Top 10 Devo Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 6, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ↑ "Devo Biography by Steve Huey". AllMusic.com. Billboard. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel. Bubbling Under Singles & Albums (1998): 64
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 88. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
External links
- "Freedom of Choice" at Discogs (list of releases)