Shut Down
The Beach Boys Lyrics


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Tach it up, tach it up
Buddy gonna shut you down

It happened on the strip where the road is wide
(Ooh, rev it up now)
Two cool shorts standin' side by side
(Ooh, rev it up now)
Yeah, my fuel-injected Stingray and a four-thirteen
(Ooh, rev it up now)
Revvin' up our engines, and it sounds real mean
(Ooh, rev it up now)
Tach it up, tach it up
Buddy gonna shut you down

Declinin' numbers at an even rate
(Ooh, movin' out now)
At the count of one we both accelerate
(Ooh, movin' out now)
My Stingray is light the slicks are startin' to spin
(Ooh, movin' out now)
But the four-thirteen's really diggin' in
(Ooh, movin' out now)
Gotta be cool now
Power shift here we go

Superstock Dodge is windin' out in low
But my fuel injected Stingray's really startin' to go
To get the traction I'm ridin' the clutch
My pressure plate's burnin' that machine's too much

Pedal's to the floor, hear his dual quads drink
(Ooh, pump it up now)
And now the four-thirteen's lead is startin' to shrink
(Ooh, pump it up now)
He's hot with ram induction but it's understood
(Ooh, rev it up now)
I got a fuel injected engine sittin' under my hood
(Ooh, pump it up now)

Shut it off, shut it off
Buddy, now I shut you down
Shut it off, shut it off
Buddy, now I shut you down
Shut it off, shut it off
Buddy, now I shut you down
Shut it off, shut it off
Buddy, now I shut you down




Shut it off, shut it off
Buddy, now I shut you down

Overall Meaning

The Beach Boys' song "Shut Down" is a classic 1960s rock tune about a drag race between two cars. The song paints an image of two cars revving up their engines and racing down the strip while the drivers show off their car's speed and power.


The song starts with the line "Tach it up, tach it up, buddy gonna shut you down," which sets the tone for the song's competitive, confrontational lyrics. The word "tach" refers to the tachometer on a car's dashboard, which measures the engine speed in revolutions per minute (RPM). The singer in the song is warned that his opponent has the power to "shut him down" if he can't keep up.


The second verse describes the drag race itself, as the two cars line up side-by-side and take off at the sound of the count. The singer's car, a fuel-injected Stingray, races against his opponent's four-thirteen as they both try to gain the upper hand. The song's bridge features the singer shifting gears and pushing his car to the limit, but ultimately realizing that he has lost the race.


Overall, "Shut Down" is a fun, energetic rock song that captures the spirit of car culture in the 1960s. Its catchy melody and driving beat make it a perennial favorite among rock fans of all ages.


Line by Line Meaning

Tach it up, tach it up Buddy gonna shut you down
We're gunning our engines and getting ready to race, but you're not gonna win.


It happened on the strip where the road is wide (Ooh, rev it up now) Two cool shorts standin' side by side (Ooh, rev it up now) Yeah, my fuel-injected Stingray and a four-thirteen (Ooh, rev it up now) Revvin' up our engines, and it sounds real mean (Ooh, rev it up now)
We're at a drag race, revving our engines and getting ready to go. I'm driving a Stingray with a powerful engine, and my opponent has a four-thirteen.


Declinin' numbers at an even rate (Ooh, movin' out now) At the count of one we both accelerate (Ooh, movin' out now) My Stingray is light the slicks are startin' to spin (Ooh, movin' out now) But the four-thirteen's really diggin' in (Ooh, movin' out now) Gotta be cool now Power shift here we go
As the race starts, both cars begin to move forward at the same pace. My Stingray starts to spin its wheels on the slick surface, but the four-thirteen is still gaining traction. I need to keep calm and execute a perfect power shift to win.


Superstock Dodge is windin' out in low But my fuel injected Stingray's really startin' to go To get the traction I'm ridin' the clutch My pressure plate's burnin' that machine's too much
My opponent's Superstock Dodge is struggling in low gear, while my Stingray is starting to pull ahead. To gain traction, I'm riding the clutch, and the pressure is causing it to burn out.


Pedal's to the floor, hear his dual quads drink (Ooh, pump it up now) And now the four-thirteen's lead is startin' to shrink (Ooh, pump it up now) He's hot with ram induction but it's understood (Ooh, rev it up now) I got a fuel injected engine sittin' under my hood (Ooh, pump it up now)
I push the pedal to the floor, and I hear the Superstock Dodge's engine revving hard. However, my Stingray is starting to catch up, and the lead of the four-thirteen is shrinking. My opponent has a powerful engine, but I have a fuel-injected one that's even better.


Shut it off, shut it off Buddy, now I shut you down Shut it off, shut it off Buddy, now I shut you down Shut it off, shut it off Buddy, now I shut you down Shut it off, shut it off Buddy, now I shut you down Shut it off, shut it off Buddy, now I shut you down
As I cross the finish line, I shut down my engine and taunt my opponent, telling him that I've won and shut him down. I repeat this several times to make sure he gets the message.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Roger Val Christian, Brian Douglas Wilson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@afton1955

Loved these guys when I was a girl. I'm 66 yrs old now and still enjoy listening to the Beach Boys.

@lizrob8813

I saw the Beach Boys street trying for concert back in the days

@hmackie6823

they were rad

@hmackie6823

short for radiation because we lived in fear...I din't I was too young to care

@drewmccoy9097

Amen

@afton1955

@@bobzani , in some regards, yes.

7 More Replies...

@robertreynolds1606

In 1963 I was 13 (so you know my age) I loved that album & still have my old vinyl in the original cover I received from Columbia House Records, back in the day. I heard this song playing in my brain every time I pulled up to a light with my Z28s, Trans Ams, Corvettes I owned over the years, now mind you it was the 1980s & 90s when I could afford these cars. In 1969 I bought a GTO new & owned before that a 1967 Mustang GT 2+2. (My folks had money I was broke as a teen) so all my adult life I raced Light to Light as we said, burning up the tires, smoked them literally off most of my cars. But all the while hearing Shut Down, playing in my brain, great song for racing fools like me. P.S. Never got a ticket, never had a wreck & never told my parents back in the day. BTW I did lose some but not many races. Unbeknownst to me once I raced a Florida Trooper who was in an unmarked 1992 Mustang GT. I had a 1995 Corvette I just bought new, 6 speed of course. The cop was so surprised I took off from a dead stop, smoking the tires he pulled me over & just looked at me, I said yeah I know. NO TICKET!

@willieoliver2023

I can relate I had a 1970 couple Deville my first car my mom and dad gave me in 77 I learned how to burn rubber in it finally got my first new car in 84 z28 raced everybody it was a standard 5 speed borg Warner 373 rears and of course I had the beach boys greatest hit and when don't worry baby came on and shut u down man I imagined it was me pedal to the floor hear those dual quads drink

@jobryant4200

Been listing to the Beach Boys since 5th grade. I'm now 65 and listen to them on you tube every morning while I'm drinking my coffee to get the day started right. They hit some "snags" during their career but who hasn't. As long as I can make it to my lap top, I'll never be without the best music ever recorded. Live on guys!

@nickdoe5310

Jo Bryant amen! Been listening to these guys since I was in 5th grade too, but that was sometime in the 90's. I'm just now at 26 getting There Vinyl Anthology really cookin', for the longest time, Endless Summer was all I needed. But, the more I listen the More I enjoy them... Maybe It's cause I lived in Torrance, C.A., Which boarders Hawthorne, C.A. lol

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