If I had a tiny microphone
Hidden in my heart
It would amplify my love for you
But the words get stuck in my throat
The words get stuck in my throat
As Devo performances in 1977 and 1978 wound down, suddenly, Mark would disappear backstage. Then, a short while later, a bizarre, baby-faced man named Booji Boy would emerge, wearing a crib around his body. In high pitched voice, he would sing "The Words Get Stuck In My Throat" as a goodbye to audience.
If I had a little View-Master
Stuck inside my brain
It would snap the pictures all of you
But the words get stuck in my throat
The words get stuck in my throat
Always a fan favorite, the song wasn't used for encores after the '78 tour. Instead, Booji would sing "In Heaven Everything Is Fine" and "The One That Gets Away". Then, in later years, he'd sing "Beautiful World" instead. "The Words Get Stuck In My Throat" faded into the memories of early Devo fans. But, in 2000, the song resurfaced on the Devo anthology, Pioneers Who Got Scalped. In fact, it was a new recording, just for the collection, with Booji Boy himself still at the mic. In addition, a live recording appeared in the Rhino Handmade Devo demo collection Recombo DNA.
If I had a telegraph
Tapping in my brain
It would tap the morse code "I love you."
But the words get stuck in my throat
The words get stuck in my throat
Of course, the song isn't a Devo song at all. It originally appeared in the Japanese monster movie, War Of The Gargantuans. The song would have been doomed to B-Movie obscurity were it not for Devo. It's one of the best Devo love songs ever written, and despite the high-pitched voice Mark... erm... Booji uses to sing, it is filled with emotion. Truely a Devo classic.
Hey, hey, hey!
What'd I say?
Everyday!
The words get stuck in my throat