A-side "Surfin' U.S.A." Format Vinyl Genre Hot rod rock, car song | Released March 4, 1963 Recorded January 5, 1963 Length 1:54 | |
"Shut Down" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian for the US rock band the Beach Boys. The primary melody is a Twelve-bar blues. It was released on their 1963 album Surfin' U.S.A. and was also released on their 1963 album Little Deuce Coupe. It was also released as the B-side of the "Surfin' U.S.A." single. The single peaked at number 23 in the US on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart (number seven on the United Press International chart published in newspapers), and number 34 in the UK
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The song details a drag race between a Super-Stock 413 cu. in.-powered 1962 Dodge Dart and a fuel-injected 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray and is derived from a longer poem by Christian. The song is sung from the perspective of the driver of the Sting Ray who "shuts down" the 413. (In hot rod racing slang, to "shut down" someone means to beat that person in a race).
The song was recorded and released by Jan & Dean on their 1982 album, One Summer Night/Live.
Personnel
Variations
A live version was released on Hawthorne, CA and the song is also part of a live medley on Endless Harmony. A 2003 stereo remix of the song appeared on the Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys compilation. It also plays in the Super Mario Bros. Super Show episode "The Great BMX Race", and is the basis for "Go, Putt-Putt" in Putt-Putt Enters the Race.