Freedom of Choice (song)
"Freedom of Choice" is a song by the American new wave band Devo, written by Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale. It appears on the album of the same name.
| "Freedom of Choice" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Devo | ||||
| from the album Freedom of Choice | ||||
| B-side | "Snowball" | |||
| Released | 1980 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:28 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Robert Margouleff | |||
| Devo singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Freedom of Choice" on YouTube | ||||
The line "In ancient Rome there was a poem about a dog who had 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 the donkey changed to a dog who dies when he can't decide which bone to eat.
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[1][2] | 103 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs | 8 |
| Australia ARIA Top 100[3] | 71 |
References
- "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.