Get Em Up
Nickelback Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

His driver's license said James he went by Jim
A gangster wanna be and baby that was him
He stole his uncle's 44 last Friday night
Said if I wanted in we'd have to plan this thing just right
We'll need the gloves, we'll need the bags a couple masks
We'll need to steal a car with windows tinted black
He picked the nearest bank on main and 17th
We wrote down every line from every movie that we'd seen
Screamin'

This is a robbery now get down on the floor
We're here for all the shit that you don't need no more (yeah)
We want your cash open the safe get off the phone
Don't be a hero and you might just make it home
Get 'em up
Then get down
Reach for the sky
Then go ahead and kiss the ground
Get 'em up
Then get down
Reach for the sky
Then go ahead and kiss the ground
Get 'em up
Get 'em get 'em up

The fresh restored mustang small block 302
Drove by the bank a dozen times this afternoon
The only parking spot was half a bock away
Gave us time to practice just exactly what to say
Screamin'

This is a robbery now get down on the floor
We're here for all the shit that you don't need no more (yeah)
We want your cash open the safe get off the phone
Don't be a hero and you might just make it home
Get 'em up
Then get down
Reach for the sky
Then go ahead and kiss the ground
Get 'em up
Then get down
Reach for the sky
Then go ahead and kiss the ground
Get 'em up
Get 'em get 'em up
Get 'em get 'em up

The only thing I wish that one of us had known
That it was Sunday and the god damn bank was closed
Too bad we didn't see the cops across the street
We dropped our guns and tried
to run and there went all our dreams
Screamin'

This is a robbery now get down on the floor
We're here for all the shit that you don't need no more (yeah)
We wanted easy, straight and now we'll never know
Somebody call my mom and tell her I ain't coming home
Get 'em up
Then get down
Reach for the sky
Then go ahead and kiss the ground
Get 'em up
Then get down
Reach for the sky




Then go ahead and kiss the ground
Get 'em up

Overall Meaning

"Get Em Up" by Nickelback is about two young men who plan a bank robbery. The singer, James, and a friend of his, want to rob a bank so they make plans to get masks, gloves, and a car with tinted windows before deciding on the nearest bank to rob. They rehearse what they are going to say by quoting lines from movies before they enter the bank with a 44 and demand that everyone gets down on the floor. They want money, so they tell the bank staff to open the safe and to not try to be a hero or else they will get hurt. The chorus has a repetition of 'Get 'em up' and refers to the robbers demanding that everyone gets their hands up in the air.


As the singer and his friend leave the bank, they notice too late that it is closed because it is Sunday. They had not realized it, which means their brilliant plan was for nothing, and they were caught by the police. They tried to run away but ended up failing, so they were forced to abandon their dream forever. Their ambitious plan to get rich quick resulted in failure, and they could not achieve their goal. The song implies that one's aspirations sometimes lead to big dreams, but those dreams do not always end up the way one planned.


Line by Line Meaning

His driver's license said James he went by Jim
The singer's real name was James, but he preferred to be called Jim


A gangster wanna be and baby that was him
The singer was trying to act like a gangster, but he was not really one


He stole his uncle's 44 last Friday night
The singer stole his uncle's gun on Friday night


Said if I wanted in we'd have to plan this thing just right
The artist told his accomplice that if he wanted to join the robbery, they needed to plan it carefully


We'll need the gloves, we'll need the bags a couple masks
The artists gathered the necessary equipment for the robbery, including gloves, bags, and masks


We'll need to steal a car with windows tinted black
The singers needed to steal a car with tinted windows to be incognito during the robbery


He picked the nearest bank on main and 17th
The singer chose the closest bank to their location for the robbery


We wrote down every line from every movie that we'd seen
The artists prepared for the robbery by studying lines from movies


This is a robbery now get down on the floor
The artists announced their robbery and demanded that everyone get on the floor


We're here for all the shit that you don't need no more (yeah)
The artists explained that they were there to take things that the people did not need


We want your cash open the safe get off the phone
The singers demanded the cash, asked to open the safe, and told people to get off the phone


Don't be a hero and you might just make it home
The artists threatened the people, warning them not to try to stop the robbery if they wanted to make it home safely


The fresh restored mustang small block 302
The getaway car was a restored Mustang with a small block 302 engine


Drove by the bank a dozen times this afternoon
The singers drove around the bank several times earlier in the day to prepare for the robbery


The only parking spot was half a bock away
The only parking spot available to the singers was half a block away from the bank


Gave us time to practice just exactly what to say
The artists used the extra time while walking to the bank to practice what they were going to say during the robbery


The only thing I wish that one of us had known
The artists wished that they had known the bank was closed before trying to rob it


That it was Sunday and the god damn bank was closed
The singers realized too late that the bank was closed on Sundays


Too bad we didn't see the cops across the street
The singers were unlucky to not notice the cops across the street from the bank


We dropped our guns and tried to run and there went all our dreams
The artists were forced to drop their guns and run, ending their dreams of successfully robbing the bank


We wanted easy, straight and now we'll never know
The artists wanted to make an easy and straight theft, but now they will never know if it were possible


Somebody call my mom and tell her I ain't coming home
The artists realized that they were going to be caught and asked for someone to call their mom to tell her they would not be coming home


Get 'em up
The singers commanded everyone in the bank to raise their hands


Then get down
The artists subsequently commanded everyone to get down on the floor


Reach for the sky
The singers demanded that people put their hands up in the air


Then go ahead and kiss the ground
The singers commanded people to then lay down on the ground


Get 'em get 'em up
The singers repeated their commands for people to raise their hands




Lyrics ยฉ Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHAD KROEGER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@dustinpfarr1601

I don't know about you people, but the line "The only thing I wish that one of us had known, that it was Sunday and the God damn bank was closed" cracks me up every time.

@TraustiGeir

+Dustin Pfarr It's just one of those "Are you f*cking kidding me?!" moments. Really highlights how many IQ points they have in total.

@golfercab7323

lmao same

@butcherbutcher9780

Hey, how are you?

@damitabakker9392

same

@IamSandraB

pretty sure its ment "bank"

28 More Replies...

@jrcapsparklez633

"It was Sunday and the goddamn bank was closed" was the best part

@ozarkadventures3586

I would be like awwwww crap

@harveyspectacular7616

+jrcap sparklez and the whole song felt like "who cares about these guys getting busted? i'm pissed cz listening to all the lyrics is now gone to waste!!"

@yuishishido8780

my question is all of this planning and no one thought to look at the calendar?

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