Devo's Gerald V. Casale addressed President Ronald Reagan's would-be-assassin John Hinckley's concerns over lack of songwriting publishing money. The year after the 1981 assassination attempt, Devo used some of the Hinckley's poetry to actress Jodie Foster for their song, “I Desire.” Hinckley's attempted assassination was the final act in his obsession with the actress and played out in an effort to prove his love to Foster.
Newsweek reported Hinckley, who has now been granted an unconditional reelase from a mental institution 40 years after being found guilty by reason of insanity, posted on social media, “Back in 1982 I co-wrote a song with Devo called 'I Desire.' It is on their album Oh No, It’s DEVO. The album is still selling worldwide, especially in Japan and Europe. I haven’t seen royalties in 35 years. What’s the deal?”
Hinckley is now a private citizen and has posted numerous YouTube videos of him at home performing original material and cover versions of favorite songs.