Shock the Monkey

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"Shock the Monkey"

Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album Peter Gabriel (IV)
B-side(s)	"Soft Dog (Instrumental)"
Released	September 1982
Format	7", 12"
Recorded	1981-1982
Genre	New wave, Art rock
Length	3:57 (7"), 5:23 (full-length)
Label	Geffen
Producer(s)	David Lord, Peter Gabriel
Chart positions
#58 (UK) #29 (USA)
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"Biko" (1980)	"Shock the Monkey" (1982)	"Walk Through the Fire" (1984)

"Shock the Monkey" is a 1982 song by Peter Gabriel. It was released as a single and peaked at #29 in the U.S. charts. It was also included on Gabriel's fourth self-titled album, issued in the U.S. as Security.

As well as its "relentlessly repeated hook" that "sounded nothing like anything else on the radio at the time",^[1] the track is known for its popular and somewhat disturbing music video featuring Gabriel in white face paint and a frightened-looking macaque. The song's title is sometimes cited as a reference to the famous experiments by Stanley Milgram described in his book Obedience to Authority,^[2] although another Gabriel song, "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)", from his 1986 album So, deals more directly with this issue. Gabriel himself has described "Shock the Monkey" as "a love song" that examines how jealousy can release one's baser instincts.^[3]

"Shock the Monkey" was released as a 7" picture disc in addition to the 7" and 12" black vinyl singles. A concert version of the song appears on Gabriel's album Plays Live (1983). It is also included on the compilation albums Shaking the Tree (1990) and Hit (2003). The music video appears on the DVD compilation Play (2004).

The track was featured in the 2003 South Park episode "Raisins." To regain his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Wendy, Stan approaches her best friend for advice. She suggests playing Peter Gabriel from a boom box outside her window, a reference to the famous use of Gabriel’s romantic hit "In Your Eyes" in the film Say Anything. Stan assumes any Gabriel song would be appropriate and blasts the distinctly non-romantic "Shock the Monkey."

The alternative metal band Coal Chamber covered the song on their 1999 album Chamber Music. The cover featured guest vocals by Ozzy Osbourne. Hawaiian recording artist Don Ho also covered the song for the 2002 compilation album When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear.

Radio DJs Walton and Johnson use the song as an intro for their "Taser Report".

[edit] Remix contest

An online contest was held in September 2006 by Realworld Remixed in which musicians and engineers were invited to submit a remix of the song. The original tracks were made available for download, offering a rare opportunity to work with the raw material from a hit song. The winner was Multiman's "Simian Surprise".