Feb 9 -- Buzzer

This song, written by Dar Williams, is about the social psychological experiment commonly referred to as the Milgram experiment that was conducted in 1963 to figure out how much pain a person would inflict on another individual if ordered to. I think the idea is super important in times like these when certain nations have a stigma of destruction and exploitation about them and much of the world is weary about that nation's character and intentions. It's good to ask, "how far WOULD you go if someone ordered you to?" and its brilliant of Dar to write a song about it in such a thought provoking (and toe-tapping) way.

Sitting with a number eight platter at the restaurant
Four twenty nine for almost anything I want
Add it up it's cheaper than the stuff I make myself
I get by, I never needed anybody's help
And I tore out an ad and they told me that I
would press the buzzer
Would press the buzzer
At the graduate lab they were doing some tests
I pressed the buzzer
Would press the buzzer

Ride a circle off the highway
Spiral into the driveway
In the maze of all prefabs
They'll be waiting at the lab

I don't know how everybody makes it through the daily drill
Paint the nails, walk a dog, pay every bill
I'm feeling sorry for this guy that I pressed to shock
He gets the answers wrong I have to up the watts
And he begged me to stop but they told me to go
I pressed the buzzer
I pressed the buzzer
So get out of my head or just leave me alone
I pressed the buzzer
I pressed the buzzer

Ride a circle off the highway
Spiral into the driveway
In the maze of all prefabs
They'll be waiting at the lab

They called me back to the lab to discuss the test
I found my coat, made sure that I looked my best
Right away I knew it was like i failed a quiz
The man said "do you know what a fascist is?"
I said "yeah it's when you do things you're not proud of
but you're scraping by taking orders from above
I get it now I'm the face I'm the cause of war
We don't have to blame white coated men anymore"
When I knew it was wrong I played it just like a game
I pressed the buzzer
I pressed the buzzer
here's your seventy bucks now everything's changed
I pressed the buzzer
I pressed the buzzer
But tell me where are your stocks would you do this again
I pressed the buzzer
And tell me who made your clothes was it children or men
I pressed the buzzer

Ride a circle off the highway
Spiral into the driveway
In the maze of all prefabs
They'll be waiting at the lab

Category:

Music

Tags:

• dar
• williams
• buzzer
• cover
• luke
• mcginnis

[ReadingMakesMeCool]

how far did people go?

[mcekul]

@ReadingMakesMeCool I don't really know the details, but I think people went as far as to torture, or think they were torturing the people in the experiment...

[TheSingingChemist]

Wow. That song is intense. (and you perform it very well)

That experiment is absolutely crazy, I can't imagine how people going through the psychology lab felt.

[mcekul]

@TheSingingChemist -- Thanks a lot! I know, crazy what people will do.

[chrisnightly6]

Very well done you have my applause!

[rebelweasel22]

I like this version more than the original.

Great job!