Shut 'um Down Songtext
von Gil Scott‐Heron

C′mon everybody

Got to get it up everyone

Did you feel that rumble? Did you hear that sound?
Well it wasn't no earthquake, but it shook the ground
It made me think about power, like it or not
I got to work for earth for what it′s worth
'Cause it's the only earth we′ve got

Shut ′em down
If that's the only way to stop them melting down
Yeah, shut ′em down
Seems like, that's the only way to keep them melting down

I′ve heard a lot about safety and human error
A few dials and gauges is just a wing and a prayer
If you need perfection, that's what it takes
Then you can′t use people, don't use people
You know people make mistakes


Shut 'em down
If that′s the only way to stop them melting down
We don′t want them melting down
Shut 'em down
Seems like, that′s the only way to keep them melting down

Yeah, shut 'em down
If that′s the only way to keep them melting down
You don't want them melting down
Shut ′em down
Seems like, that's the only way to keep them melting down

Did you feel that rumble? Did you hear that sound?
Well it wasn't no earthquake, but it shook the ground
It made me think about power, like it or not
I got to work for earth for what it′s worth
′Cause it's the only earth we′ve got

Shut 'em down
That′s the only way to stop them melting down
Melting down, melting down, yeah
Shut 'em down
Seems like, that′s the only way to keep them melting down


Say shut 'em down, shut 'em down
Shut ′em down, shut ′em down
We don't want ′em melting down
Shut 'em down
Seems like, that′s the only way to keep them melting down
Meltin' down, meltin′ down, yeah

That's the only way to keep them safe
That's the only way to keep them safe
That′s the only way to keep them safe
That′s the only way to keep them from melting down
Shut 'em, shut ′em, shut 'em, shut ′em, shut 'em down
Shut ′em down, shut 'em down, shut 'em down

Say, locked up, run away
Locked up, move away
Locked up, get away
Locked up, hide away
Locked up, look away
Locked up, get away
Locked up, run away
That′s the only way to keep ′em from melting down

Shut 'em, shut ′em, shut 'em, shut ′em, shut 'em down
We don′t want them melting down
Shut 'em down
That's the only way to stop ′em from melting down
Say, say, shut ′em down
That's the only way to keep ′em from melting down
Melting down, melting down, yeah

Shut 'em down
That′s the only way to stop 'em from melting down
Thank you
Thank you very much

Now, this is a secret
Don′t tell nobody
This is a secret
Don't worry about them, they ain't gonna tell nobody

We gon′ do a song about aliens
If you are an alien, do not raise your hand
If you are here from another planet
Thank you very much for coming to the show

If you are from our planet, thank you because we love you
If you are from here
Thank you very much for welcoming us into your home
We appreciate it

We do a song about illegal aliens
Which is different from regular aliens
Many aliens are here legally from Mars
These aliens are not

We do a song about people
Who sometimes have to run away from their homes
Because they have dreams of doing better
Either because of wars, because of politics
Because of no jobs, or because they need help

We do a song about people who have dreams
This is why we should all be sympathetic, because we all have dreams
The song says, "Hold on to your dreams"
They will hold you up when other things will let you down
They will keep you going when other things will try to make you stop

A song for aliens, a song for people who are at home
A song for the alienated, and a song for dreamers
Hold on to your dreams