| Freedom of Choice | |
| Cover: | Devo freedom of choice.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Devo |
| Album: | Freedom of Choice |
| Released: | December 29, 1980 |
| B-Side: | "Snowball" |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 3:28 |
| Label: | Warner Bros. |
| Producer: | |
| Prev Title: | Gates of Steel |
| Prev Year: | 1980 |
| Next Title: | Through Being Cool |
| Next Year: | 1981 |
"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.
In the music video to "Freedom of Choice", the band appeared as aliens. This video also featured professional skateboarders of the day.
| 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 |