All Of Us

Like others have said, this became "Going Under" and "Softcore Mutations" (on a side note, here is a very odd demo of Softcore Mutations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LER67nFqt-k ).

I always thought the lyrics depict an (troublesome) orphanage with abused kids:

"I left home with a friend of mine / Gone two years and I don't know why"

'home' is the orphanage, its all the kids have ever known. Two of them were adopted, but were only gone two years because the parents abused them, and were convicted.

"Now I'm happy all the time / I can't think and I'm feelin' fine"

These are actually just a confused child. Yes, now they are happier than they were at the abusing house, but they don't think about it too much, and just making it through. They're 'fine' with it because its better than nothing.

"I got feelings but they don't show / Don't ask me cause I don't know"

A psychiatrist/counselor asks about the abuse, and how they feel. These kids have to be emotionally rigid in this, so they can get adopted again, but inside they are extremely sad due to the pattern of abusive families. When asked about the abuse, they act innocent, and say "I don't know".

"No no no / All of you"

Here, they are in denial, and then lash out at the counselors.

"Think you've heard this all before / Now you're gonna hear some more"

Again, talking to the counselors. Its like them saying "You think you know what I've been through? You think I'm just some abused kid?". And I don't care how much they think they know, I'm going to talk anyway, despite you.

"I know a place where dreams are crushed / Hopes are smashed but that ain't much"

This is referring to the orphanage itself. These kids came into the world without a family, and this place (as well as the abusive families they have been paired with) has crushed them.

"All you stupids anyway / We're all gonna die some day / Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah / All of us"

To the counselors and parents. You are ignoring our problems, and now I'm a nihilist.

(after this point in the song, the lyrics get more and more abstract, not sure exactly whats going on)

"Me leave home with booji boy / Teeth fall out of china doll"

Now, the kid had a mental breakdown, and speaks like caveman.

"Poo poo man got jiffy-snipped / Bad girl launching - floppy tits"

Not sure if these are the correct lyrics, and I don't have an interpretation of whats happening here.

"Listen listen me no lie / We like stuff what makes us cry"

We want to be adopted, but that just leads to abuse, and we cry.

"Why why why why!!!!? / All of us"

Getting to the root of the problem. Why do people abuse each other? Why is there inequality? It's de-evolution. People are getting more savage, care less and less about each other. Child abuse is an extremely devolved thing to do, and that's what I think this song is about.

Most of the first half of this song (resurrected on Hardcore Devo) later became "Going Under" on New Traditionalists.

More classic devo it's "repeat untill it fails" mentality. The idea that humans are doomed to eat sleep have sex and deficate untill they die. leaving behind a generation that does the same thing. The theme of growing old and dying is stronger here, where as other songs focus more on the young to middle aged person.