Gil Scott-Heron - Shut ’em Down lyrics

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