Motörhead released 23 studio albums, 10 live recordings, 12 compilation albums and five EPs over a career spanning 40 years. Usually a power trio, they had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades and, particularly, the live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith cemented Motörhead's reputation as a top-tier rock band. The band are ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. As of 2016, they have sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.
Most often classified as heavy metal, Motörhead has been credited with being part of and influencing numerous musical scenes, thrash metal and speed metal especially. Lemmy, however, always insisted that they were a rock and roll band. He said that they had more in common with punk bands, but with their own unique sound, Motörhead is embraced in both punk and metal scenes. Their lyrics typically covered such topics as war, good versus evil, abuse of power, promiscuous sex, substance abuse and, most famously, gambling, the latter theme being the focus of their hit song "Ace of Spades".
Lemmy died on 28 December 2015 from cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. The day after his death, drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell both confirmed that Motörhead had disbanded. By 2018, all three members of Motörhead's best-known line-up (Lemmy, Taylor and Clarke) had died.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motörhead
Discography
Motörhead (1977)
Overkill (1979)
Bomber (1979)
On Parole (1979)
Ace of Spades (1980)
Iron Fist (1982)
Another Perfect Day (1983)
Orgasmatron (1986)
Rock 'n' Roll (1987)
1916 (1991)
March ör Die (1992)
Bastards (1993)
Sacrifice (1995)
Overnight Sensation (1996)
Snake Bite Love (1998)
We Are Motörhead (2000)
Hammered (2002)
Inferno (2004)
Kiss of Death (2006)
Motörizer (2008)
The Wörld Is Yours (2010)
Aftershock (2013)
Bad Magic (2015)
Shut You Down
Motörhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You read this I'll be far away
Ain't gonna give ya no moon in June
Never see you it'll be too soon
One eye Jack, gotta watch my back
See you 'round, guess I better shut you down
Shut you down
Steal your thunder, turn you round
Listen up 'cause I'm telling you
Magic moments were way too few
I like to stay, but you got too weird
You don't look right since you grew that beard
One eye Jack, gotta watch my back
See you 'round, guess I better
Shut you down
Shut you down
Shut you down
Steal your thunder, turn you round
Wassup, yo?
Tell you babe, what I'm gonna do
Leave this town and I'll leave you too
I don't wanna see your face no more
Don't come 'round knocking at my door
One eye Jack, gotta watch my back
You're oh so 'round, guess I better, shut you down
Shut you down, shut you down
Steal your thunder, turn you 'round
The lyrics to Motörhead's "Shut You Down" depict a story of a man who has had enough of his current situation and relationship and is making the decision to leave. He is packing his bags and leaving while also promising to never come back. The line "Ain't gonna give ya no moon in June" suggests that the person he is leaving may have been hoping for a romantic reconciliation, but he is not interested. The man also mentions a person called "One eye Jack" who poses a threat to him, possibly insinuating that the relationship has become dangerous.
The chorus, "Shut you down, steal your thunder, turn you round" is a message to the person he is leaving behind that he is taking control and turning the tables on the situation. He is removing their power over him and is shutting them out of his life. Additionally, throughout the lyrics, the man seems to be proclaiming autonomy through one phrase after another, conveying the sense that he has asserted control over his surroundings and life choices.
Overall, "Shut You Down" is a song that conveys a powerful message about taking control of situations that may have previously had control over us. It speaks to the universal human experience of not wanting to feel trapped in any given situation and taking the bold steps needed to make a change.
Line by Line Meaning
Pack my bags and leave today
I am leaving immediately and won't be looking back.
You read this I'll be far away
By the time you read this, I will have already left and gone far away.
Ain't gonna give ya no moon in June
I won't be offering any romantic moments or gestures like clichéd love songs.
Never see you it'll be too soon
I don't want to see you ever again, not even for a second.
One eye Jack, gotta watch my back
I need to be wary and alert, as there may be danger ahead.
See you 'round, guess I better shut you down
Although I may encounter you again in the future, I need to put an end to whatever relationship or interaction we have.
Steal your thunder, turn you round
I will take away your ability to impress or outshine me and leave you disoriented.
Listen up 'cause I'm telling you
Pay attention as I am about to speak to you.
Magic moments were way too few
There were hardly any enjoyable or memorable times between us.
I like to stay, but you got too weird
I would prefer to stay, but you have become too strange or off-putting to be around.
You don't look right since you grew that beard
Your appearance has changed in a way that I find unattractive or unsettling.
Wassup, yo?
What's up or what's going on, my friend?
Tell you babe, what I'm gonna do
I'm going to let you know what my intentions are, my dear.
Leave this town and I'll leave you too
I am leaving this place, and I won't be taking you with me.
I don't wanna see your face no more
I want to completely cut ties with you and remove you from my life.
Don't come 'round knocking at my door
Don't ever try to contact me or come to my home uninvited.
You're oh so 'round, guess I better, shut you down
Your behavior or presence makes me feel stuck or limited, so I need to end things now before it's too late.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL BURSTON, PHILIP CAMPBELL, IAN KILMISTER, PHILIP JOHN TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind