The Deep Dive: "Shock The Monkey" by Peter Gabriel

The deep dive is a post in which we take a deeper dive into the making of various songs. Think of it as pop-up video, without the cool bubbles. This post’s song is Peter Gabriel’s “Shock The Monkey.”

“Shock The Monkey” was released as a single off Peter Gabriel’s Security album in September of 1982. The song reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it Gabriel’s first single to outperform in the US vs. the UK.

The song is about jealousy and how it can cause one to release their more animalistic instincts in relationships.

The music video for the song features Gabriel in a business suit and in white face paint as a movie projector plays zoo footage of a Gibbon. As the video moves forward, Gabriel’s actions in the business suit become more erratic and bizarre as more wilderness footage is displayed.

Peter used a number of cutting-edge electronics to record the song, including synthesizers and drum machines.

Watch the video here