The Beautiful Girls are an Australian band from the New South Wales coast c… Read Full Bio ↴The Beautiful Girls are an Australian band from the New South Wales coast composed of Mat McHugh on vocals and guitar, Paulie B on bass and Bruce Braybrooke on drums.

TBG have released five full length albums: Learn Yourself, We're Already Gone, Ziggurats, Spooks and Dancehall Days; as well as one EP, Morning Sun, TBG have an eclectic style of their own, with smatterings of rock, acoustic, reggae, pop and folk all through their music. Many people find elements of artists such as Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and The Police, but their most recent album Spooks has, among others, Bob Marley influences.

TBG have been nominated for Best Music Video: I Thought About You, at the Inside Film Awards 2007; Best Blues & Roots Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2005
And for the J Award 2005

They have also made it into the Triple J Hottest 100 four times: twice in 2003 at #41 ("Blackbird") and #62 ("Music") and twice again in 2005 at #68 ("...And We'll Dance on the Ashes of What's Left") and #81 ("Let's Take the Long Way Home").

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Shot Down
The Beautiful Girls Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wise man he says "I′m a treat you like you wanted".
Foolish man says "I'm a treat you like I want to".
Evil you spread now is gonna come right back,
Come right back and haunt you.
Love that you share now,
It will guide and protect you.
Guide and protect you.

Met a policeman, said he was a soldier.
Told me to get out of his face and hit the road ya.
But see I don′t need me no army 'cause I don't want no fight.
But I′m a stand up for the difference between wrong and right.
Mistakes are lessons and lessons learned
Take the place of ignorance in return.
No, don′t judge a man 'til you walk in his shoes.
Some men ain′t got nothing to lose.

Shot down all over town.

Better believe there's war on up ahead ya,
Until we can settle the score and share the bread ya.
Some people got no choices from the day they are born.
Some other people got many but their reasons are wrong.
Catch a fire, you′re gonna get burned.
Sow the seed, it will come back in return.
Some people think they are above it all,
And everything but they will fall.

Shot down all over town.

I'm not sure anymore,
About those places that I once knew.
See, I don′t see you when I walk these streets in the night.
It's so hard without you here by my side.

But on one fine day, under the sun we'll be there with everyone.
Everybody that has been and gone.

Overall Meaning

The Beautiful Girls' song Shot Down tells a story of contrasts between wise and foolish, good and evil, love and hate, and justice and injustice. The first two lines of the song highlight the contrast between a wise man who treats others as they want to be treated and a foolish man who treats others as he wants to treat them. The song goes on to suggest that evil actions will come back to haunt their perpetrators, while love and kindness will guide and protect those who share them.

The second verse of the song introduces a new character, a policeman who claims to be a soldier. This character exemplifies the injustice that some people face from authority figures who enforce their will on others. The singer of the song, however, is not afraid to stand up for what is right, even if it means standing alone. The lyrics suggest that mistakes can be opportunities to learn and grow, and that judging others based on appearances is not a fair way to assess their worth.

The chorus of the song, "Shot down all over town," is a repeated refrain that suggests that violence and conflict are commonplace in the world. The final verse of the song offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that one day, everyone who has been lost will be reunited under the sun.

Line by Line Meaning

Wise man he says "I′m a treat you like you wanted".
The wise man promises to treat you according to your wishes and needs.

Foolish man says "I'm a treat you like I want to".
The foolish man declares that he will treat you as per his own desires, disregarding your preferences.

Evil you spread now is gonna come right back, Come right back and haunt you.
Any wickedness or malevolence that you spread will eventually return to haunt you in due course.

Love that you share now, It will guide and protect you. Guide and protect you.
Any love or compassion that you give will serve as a guiding force, shielding you from harm and adversity.

Met a policeman, said he was a soldier. Told me to get out of his face and hit the road ya. But see I don′t need me no army 'cause I don't want no fight. But I′m a stand up for the difference between wrong and right.
Encountered a policeman who claimed to be a soldier, rudely ordered me to leave, but I don't seek any conflict. Nevertheless, I will assert my stand on distinguishing right from wrong.

Mistakes are lessons and lessons learned Take the place of ignorance in return.
Errors provide a valuable learning opportunity, replacing ignorance with knowledge and wisdom upon comprehension of those mistakes.

No, don′t judge a man 'til you walk in his shoes. Some men ain′t got nothing to lose.
Don't criticize or form opinions about someone unless you have experienced their perspective. Some people have no possessions, position or status to lose.

Shot down all over town.
People are being targeted or facing failure in various situations throughout the town.

Better believe there's war on up ahead ya, Until we can settle the score and share the bread ya. Some people got no choices from the day they are born. Some other people got many but their reasons are wrong.
One must understand that fight is unavoidable in the future until we resolve and distribute resources equitably. Some folks have limited opportunities due to their circumstances, while others abuse them for the wrong reasons.

Catch a fire, you′re gonna get burned. Sow the seed, it will come back in return. Some people think they are above it all, And everything but they will fall.
If you ignite a flame, you'll eventually face its consequences. If you plant a seed of something, it will grow and return to you. Some individuals have inflated egos and feel superior but are also susceptible to downfall.

I'm not sure anymore, About those places that I once knew. See, I don′t see you when I walk these streets in the night. It's so hard without you here by my side. But on one fine day, under the sun we'll be there with everyone. Everybody that has been and gone.
I'm uncertain about the places I used to know. I miss you and can't see you by my side during night walks. It's tough without you. But, someday, we will reunite under the sun with everyone, including those who've passed away.

Writer(s): Matthew Mark Mchugh

Contributed by Kayla M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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