Shut Down (The Beach Boys song)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2016) |
"Shut Down" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nik Venet | ||||
The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
|
"Shut Down" is a song written by
History
The song details a drag race between a Super-Stock 413 cu. in.-powered 1962 Dodge Dart and a fuel-injected 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray and is derived from a longer poem by Christian. The song is sung from the perspective of the driver of the Sting Ray who brags that he will "shut down" the 413. (In hot rod racing slang, to "shut down" someone means to beat that person in a race.) While the implication is that the Sting Ray will win the race, the song ends before the end of the race with the 413 still in the lead, with the Sting Ray closing the gap. Although the race is often interpreted as having an inconclusive outcome, the lyrics in the outro refrain do state, "Shut it off, shut it off/Buddy now I shut you down", clearly indicating that the narrator, in his Corvette Sting Ray, has in fact won the race, as he tells the Dodge 413's driver to "shut off" the car's engine and accept the fact that he has just been "shut down".
Personnel
- lead vocal, saxophone
- David Marks – rhythm guitar, lead guitarduring fade-out
- Brian Wilson – harmony and backing vocals, bass guitar
- Carl Wilson – harmony and backing vocals, lead guitar
- Dennis Wilson – harmony and backing vocals, drums
Chart performance
Chart (1963) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles ( The Official Charts Company)[6]
|
34 |
US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 23 |
Variations
A live version was released on
Cover versions
- The song was recorded and released by Jan & Deanon their 1982 album, One Summer Night/Live.
References
- ^ a b "Shut Down". 45cat.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Tours & Sessions 1963". bellagio10452.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ISBN 9780866568814.
- ^ Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius, Lambert, Phillip, p.128
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. March 9, 1963. p. 48. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 65.