PETER GABRIEL - WE DO WHAT WE’RE TOLD (MILGRAM’S 37)

Released: May 19, 1986

Album: So

“We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” is a song by Peter Gabriel that explores themes of obedience and authority. Although he began performing it live in 1980, the track was not officially released until it appeared on his 1986 album “So”. 

This song is based on Stanley Milgram’s infamous obedience experiments, conducted at Yale in 1961. In these studies, participants were instructed to administer what they believed were increasingly painful electric shocks to a person who answered questions incorrectly. Although the shocks were fake, the participants were unaware, and most followed orders despite the apparent suffering of the recipient. The song’s title references one variation of the experiment, where 37 out of 40 participants obeyed authority and delivered the highest voltage. Peter Gabriel saw the results as both disturbing and revealing, highlighting human tendencies toward blind obedience but also admiring the few who resisted. Gabriel summarized the results of Milgram's experiments with the phrase, "We do what we're told," which is repeated throughout the song. 

Peter Gabriel performed “We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” live for years before its official release, with early versions appearing on bootlegs. During concerts, he encouraged audiences to chant the song’s refrain, unknowingly replicating the experiment’s theme of obedience. Despite Gabriel’s interest in incorporating footage of Milgram’s experiments into his stage shows or music videos, Milgram declined, unwilling to have his research used for entertainment purposes.

“We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” was one of 15 songs Peter Gabriel worked on for his 1980 self-titled album but was ultimately left off. Originally titled “Milgram’s 37,” it was considered for release as a single or inclusion on a later album. Though also considered for his 1982 album, the song remained unreleased until So in 1986.

Gabriel began work on it again during the So sessions in 1985, using previously recorded backing tracks from 1980. He employed synthesizers to process his voice and instruments, creating an eerie, disjointed atmosphere that reflected the psychological themes of Milgram’s experiments. Drummer Jerry Marotta contributed, along with L. Shankar on violin, enhancing the song’s unsettling tone.