Album: Security (1982)

Charted: 58 29

License This Song 

• Cover me when I run
  Cover me through the fire
  Something knocked me out' the trees
  Now I'm on my knees
  Cover me, darling please, hey
  Monkey, monkey, monkey
  Don't you know when you're going to shock the monkey
  
  Fox the fox
  Rat the rat
  You can ape the ape
  I know about that
  There is one thing you must be sure of
  I can't take any more
  Darling, don't you monkey with the monkey, hey
  Monkey, monkey, monkey
  Don't you know you're going to shock the monkey, hey, hey
  Shock the monkey, hey yeah
  
  (Monkey) Wheels keep turning
  (Monkey) Something's burning
  (Monkey) Don't like it but I guess I'm learning
  
  Shock, shock, shock
  Watch the monkey get hurt, monkey
  Shock, shock, shock
  Watch the monkey get hurt, monkey
  
  Cover me when I sleep
  Cover me when I breathe
  You throw your pearls before the swine
  Make the monkey blind
  Cover me, darling please, hey
  Monkey, monkey, monkey
  Don't you know you're going to shock the monkey, hey, hey
  Shock the monkey, hey yeah
  
  (Monkey) Too much at stake
  (Monkey) Ground beneath me shake
  (Monkey) And the news is breaking
  
  Shock, shock, shock
  Watch the monkey get hurt, monkey
  Shock, shock, shock
  Watch the monkey get hurt, monkey
  
  Shock the monkey
  Shock the monkey
  Shock the monkey hey, hey
  Shock the monkey
  
  Shock the monkey to life
  Shock the monkey
  
  Shock the monkey
  Shock the monkey
  Shock the monkey
  
  Shock the monkey to life Writer/s: Peter Gabriel
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 43

• Jay from The World As We Know ItI just always thought it was completely idiotic! Shock the Monkey? Ok, Pete, no idea WTF you're talking about, but it's funny as F.
• Nbass from TxI've always thought it was a song about a sudden breakup that was unexpected and done also to see the man (the monkey) be made a fool of and laughed at by his assumed faithful lover. Being knocked out if the trees, on his knees by something completely unexpected. "And the news is breaking" A possibility that his lover only used him by throwing pearls before the swine. He begs her to be comforting, and when she isn't he becomes a little desperate for her to say she's only joking by saying don't monkey with the monkey
• Jenn Dobos from VermontSaw him open up his show with this song on stage, flanked by two bass guitar and electric guitar players, both unrecognizable in punk wigs; at the end of this song, he pulled the wigs off if whom were, in actuality, Tony Levin, and Adrian Belew. My first rock concert at the age of 16 years. Stunning.
• Se7en from Illinois As a former drug user I wanted to set something straight ... Freebase is NOT Crack .. It's cocaine based down to pure with ether ..
• Snazzy from Pensacola FlIn so many songs, the words "love" and "drug" can be used interchangeably without significant change in meaning. Both represent extreme shifts in the emotional response to life, with the loss of control being the primary operative mechanism. One must risk pain and suffering to achieve the enlightened blissful state that both love and drugs bring. It is easier to name the artists who were not using cocaine at this time, and Peter and Phil's partying was well-known at the time, and could have contributed to the end of Genesis. If it isn't directly autobiographical, then the song is about someone really close that is struggling with addiction. Peter Gabriel saying that this song is about love is like Paul McCartney swearing that "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is not about LSD-25. Yeah, Peter, whatever!
• Chris from Germany This song is still good and awesome. I was born in the late 1980s and I can remember that the video had been played many times even in the 90s on MTV on greatest hits.
  This video is described by many as really scary and disgusting. Interestingly MTV played it on heavy rotation.
  Thanks to the heavy exposure of the song on MTV it was huge in America. It reached #29 on the Hot 100. In the UK however MTV was not available until 1987 so only a few saw the video and it reached only #58
• Chris from DetroitIn an interview, Peter Gabriel himself said that "Shock the Monkey" is a love song. The monkey is a metaphor for the emotions we wake up when we have feelings for another person. It's actually a very simple song, as he himself has said, but the video makes it seemed much darker and more complicated.
• Markantney from BiloxeWho the H3LL knows what this song is about?? I bet Gabriel doesn't know.
  
  I just know the song is slamming; even in the hood we played this song in the early 80s.
  
  There's no debate on what he's talking about on "SledgeHammer".
• Dryattz from Atlanta, GaI was convinced, decades ago, that the song was about human development and evolution. "Shock the Monkey" refers to higher primates electrifying their existence. We must be covered with clothing, because we no longer have fur. Developing technology was accompanied by bipedalism, which "knocked us out the trees," occasionally on our knees. I still prefer that interpretation, although apparently Peter would disagree.
• Josh from Champaign, IlAfter viewing the video, I'm thinking that there's at least some reference to the "Executive Monkey" psychological study, published in 1958, wherein two monkeys are strapped into chairs with levers that prevent a timed electrical shock. At one point one monkey has control to stop the shocks, while the other has no control. The monkey with the control is dubbed the Executive Monkey, who is found to die from perforated ulcers due to the stress of dealing with decision making and response. The non-executive had no ill effects.
• Willie from Scottsdale, Az[Butthead] Uhh, heh heh...he said "monkey." [/Butthead]
• Guy from Benson, NcI like quite a few of Gabriel's songs, but I have NEVER understood why people consider him such a genius. His time with Genesis did not produce much of anything great in my opinion. Then again, I don't think Genesis did anything great ever. Many people seem to think that if somebody acts quirky that makes them a genius. If this is true then nut houses are full of them.
• Fred from Halifax, NsAn even bigger Peter Gabriel hit that seems to combine drug references with issues of emotional lust is 'Sledgehammer'. He talks about all the things his (seemingly) love interest could have if s/he'd "just lay down [his/her] tracks". Of course intravenous drug use and the resulting scars are often referred to, in slang, as "tracks". A former junkie friend of mine once told me that being another person's "sledgehammer" is to aid him/her through the nightmare of breaking a drug addiction (usually heroin).. Look at the rest of the lyrics and the person who wants to be the other person's "sledgehammer" is promising such things as "blue skies", "opening up your [here you'd have to assume he's referring to a she] fruit cage", etc. Hmmmmmm.
• Chris from South Surrey, BcThe relentless hook in this song is so sweet. And than when there's that still moment in the middle with no vocals, that's just rad as all hell. Pure sonic bliss.
• Lee from Huntsville, Algenesis is being inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in '010...as goes genesis,so goes peter gabriel! congrats to him on this lengendary status and achievement.
• Tony from Chicago, IlI think it's a song about addiction and jealousy. No matter what it's about great song!!!!
• Someone from Freedom,The monkey is a metaphor for jealousy according to Gabriel. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_the_Monkey#Interpretation)
  
  So, the monkey is not addiction, but the monkey within you, the primal emotional responses, it seems. Our inner primate if you will.
• John from Washington, DcI think it's about both jealousy and drugs. The girl is cheating on him, and it's endangering his sobriety. The monkey is the addiction. She's going to "shock the monkey to life" by "throwing her pearls before the swine".
• Aaron from Philadelphia, PaI just watched the music video to this song again, and carefully examining the tiny details I've come to a conclusion. In England, "monkey" is slang for an addiction. Led Zeppelin has a song that refers to this, "Nobody's Fault but Mine." When Peter's face is painted white, he drops little tin foil packets. Similar to FREEBASED COCAIN. That's why he's flipping out. When he sits on the floor, again in white makeup, he "lights up" the tiny packets on floor, which are encircled around him. He's giving in to his "Monkey." Now, Peter himself stated in an interview that it's a song about jealousy, and he's right. He's not lying, it's about the jealousy of his "MONKEY." Peter has such a way with words! I love his humor! I love this song!
• John from Christiana, PaI don't know why you think this is a good song. Genesis performed best in the early 70's with their "Selling England By The Pound" album. Each member of the band puts so much effort into their music on this album. At the time, Peter Gabriel wanted to take "art rock" to a place it has never been before. The group also incorporates many different kinds of instruments into the driving force of his shows.
• Athena from Phoenix, AzI thought that the phrase "shock the monkey" meant stopping an addiction suddenly, "cold turkey".
• Jeromie from Cohoes, Ny I sorta heard it was about how, the primitive sounds of yesterday's music, was being taken away by technology
• Sunshine from Orlando, FlGary, the movie Project X is not about shock therapy at all. The chimps learn to fly because they are intelligent enough to do so (according to the plot). Then they are bombarded with radiation to see how long they can keep flying. Besides, why would Gabriel say it was about jealousy if it wasn't?
• Danielle from Palm Coast, Fli love this song i listen to it over and over and could not figure out what it met. i always thought it had to do with animal testing ether that or some metaphor for anger. i think peter Gabriel is one of the top artiest that make you think when you listen to his lyrics. next to pink Flody, tom petty, the police. but now i see it was jealousy by reading the top.
• Eb from Richmond Hill, GaIf you like the expose of songs like SHOCK THE MONKEY, and severely coded songs, with backward masking, embedded messages and hidden meanings . . . then you will love this one . . .by far the best, the meaning of AMERICAN PIE revealed . . . check it out on www.IMISSAMERICANPIE.com
• Eb from Richmond Hill, GaADDITIONAL COMMENTARY ON THE FREEBASE COCAINE VIDEO. THE FACE PAINTING IS SIGNIFICANT. IN AFRICA, I SAW WOMEN BARE CHESTED WITH THEIR FACES PAINTED WHITE. THEY BELIEVED THE WHITE FACE PAINT MADE THEM INVISIBLE. HENCE THE WHITE FACE PAINT TO MAKE THE PARANOID MONKEY (AND MAN INVISIBLE). THERE IS A RING OF POWER SIMILARITY HER.
  ALSO, THE MAN OR MONKEY APPEARS IN THE VIDEO, DEPENDING ON WHETHER HE HAD JUST DONE A HIT (SHOCK)OR NOT.
• Eb from Richmond Hill, GaOne of those great "SEVERELY CODED" songs for those involved in that scene ! And it cannot be interpreted without seeing the video.
  
  Remember that Peter Gabriel left Genesis. What was the real reason? Could he no longer function because of a drug problem? The video was created by someone who has been there . . .
  
  The monkey is a man on Freebase(1982 term, now called CRACK) locked in a room, on the floor and paranoid. Smoking freebase cocaine takes you to premordal reactions within your mind, the monkey in us, and paranoia dominates. EVERY HIT "SHOCKS THE MONKEY". You look in air conditioning vents for hidden cameras, etc. You sense the dark spiritual forces around you, like Frodo putting on the RING and entering the other dimension.
  In the video, Peter later shows up in bizarre fashion with his face painted. The desk lamps move in the background as if they're alive and the monkey throws hundreds of "buttons" in the air. What are the buttons? They look like parafin colored flattened Hershey kisses (gram size freebase/crack button right out of the test tube). And you can see smoke being blown out, streaming through the lights and filling the room.
  In the end the man flips a coin, and obviously wins. He has made the correct choice and conquered his addiction.
  
  SHOCK THE MONKEY is a song about FREEBASE (CRACK)ADDICTION and ultimately the escape from it ! !!
  
  CHECK ME ON ALL THIS, THIS IS FROM MEMORY, SINCE THE LAST TIME I SAW THE VIDEO WAS 1985 . . . .
  
  
• Gareth from Dubai, OtherGary from Springfield - the song is nothing whatsoever to do with actual tree-climbing monkeys. As has been said, it is about jealousy, specifically sexual jealousy. Check out Peter Gabriel's biography, in which Gabriel himself explains the lyrics - Dan from Ashburn is dead-on with his comment.
  
  Unfortunately, the fact that the video for the song features a monkey has led many people to think Gabriel is referring to an actual monkey.
• Jackie from Virginia Beach, VaPeter Gabrial has made a contest of remixing this sond, with the winners (and other) for listen at http://www.realworldremixed.com/competition.php
• Gary from Granville, NyGreat song to work by. Peter Gabriel never came up with a better song as far as I am concerned.
• Ratboy from Ratville, NjDid he teach those apes to play the keyboard?
• Colby from Kansas, KsI have to agree with Dan on this one... and Peter Gabriel since he did say it was about jealous (scroll up just a bit.) Very nicely said, Dan- I don't think it could be summed up any better.
• Beef from St. Petersburg, FlUh, I think you'd better check your timeline; the song came out in 1982, the movie in 1987. The song was used in the soundtrack because of the movie's plot, but one can hardly argue that a movie that wouldn't exist until several years in the future provided Gabriel's motivation to write it with the meaning you portend.
• Rick from Echt, NetherlandsCoal Chamber together with Ozzy Osbourne did a cover of Shock The Monkey
• Jim from Arkadelphia, GaWell, the song probably isn't about this, BUT. monkey is slang for an addiction. Folks with an opiate monkey will SHOCK THE MONKEY with LSD, and gain back a certain amount of control, supposedly.
• Dan from Ashburn, VaTake Gabriel at face value here. Jealousy is a primitive, instinctual reaction--seeing the object of our fantasies giving favors to another triggers automatic emotions of anger/hate/depression. That monkey is inside Gabriel's head and yours and mine, my friends. She does things that shock Gabriel's monkey awake. What did your monkey tell you to do today? When's the last time your monkey made you jealous? Didn't you (or at least your rational side) feel like an ass later?
• Tony from San Francisco, CaIt may be an urban legend, but I had heard that the song is really about something that used to happen in strip clubs.
  
  Let's say the dancer would do a novety act, including picking up coins placed on the stage by customers, with her Monkey (slang for vagina).
  
  Well, sometimes, a nasty customer would take out his lighter, and turn it on under the coin, making it very hot, and then place it on stage, to which the poor stripper would get her monkey shocked. God that's sick. Anybody else heard this?
• Dominic from London, EnglandIs used in an episode of "South Park" in a spoof on the famous boom box scene from the John Cusack movie "Say Anything".
• Maurice from Amsterdam, NetherlandsI wonder, Gary, why the album Security, on which this song appears, entered the charts in 1982, whereas the movie was released in 1987... I guess sometimes filmmakers re-use existing songs. Maybe you should have posed it as a question instead of disqualifying the songfacts. Moreover Peter Gabriel says on his site (www.PeterGabriel.com): "Shock the Monkey is probably one of the better known tracks um most people saw that as a sort of animal right song, but it wasn't actually it was a song about jealousy."
  
• Gary from Springfield, MaThe song "Shock the Monkey" is from the movie "Project X" Great movie, and Peter Gabriel's hit song topped the charts! Oh..by the way...to set the record straight..the movie is about using shock therapy on monkeys to teach them to fly fighter aircraft sans humans. Thus.."Shock the monkey"....In no way is the song related to anything implied by the previous comments!
  Gsharp10, W. Spfld. Ma.
• Eric from Lake Forest, CaIt's a German metaphor.
• Luke from Manchester, EnglandNo, that's 'Spank The Monkey'
• Adrian from Wilmington, DeI've heard that "shock the monkey" is a metaphor for masturbation. We can only speculate if that was Peter Gabriel's inent.

More Songfacts:

LandslideFleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks wrote "Landslide" before she joined Fleetwood Mac. She was considering going back to school when she and her boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham were asked to join the group.

VogueMadonna

Every film star mentioned in Madonna's "Vogue" has since died. The last was Lauren Bacall, who passed away in 2014.

Big LoveFleetwood Mac

"Big Love" is a showcase song for Lindsey Buckingham and the first single from Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album Tango In The Night, but he left the group soon after the album was released and the band didn't perform it live until he returned 10 years later.

Cleveland RocksIan Hunter

"Cleveland Rocks" was written by an Englishman. Ian Hunter wrote the song after touring America in the late '70s and finding that Cleveland was by far the most receptive city to his brand of Glam Rock.

Sour TimesPortishead

The eerie percussion and guitar for Portsihead's "Sour Times" was sampled from Lalo Schifrin's "Danube Incident," music composed by the Argentine composer for an episode of Mission Impossible.

Police Dog BluesHugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie, star of the TV show House, had a minor hit in 2011 with "Police Dog Blues," an old Blues song from 1929.

Editor's Picks

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Gary LeVoxSongwriter Interviews

On "Life Is A Highway," his burgeoning solo career, and the Rascal Flatts song he most connects with.

Macabre Mother Goose: The Dark Side of Children's SongsSong Writing

"London Bridge," "Ring Around the Rosie" and "It's Raining, It's Pouring" are just a few examples of shockingly morbid children's songs.

Wolfgang Van HalenSongwriter Interviews

Wolfgang Van Halen breaks down the songs on his debut album, Mammoth WVH, and names the definitive Van Halen songs from the Sammy and Dave eras.

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.