Get 'Em Up – English Lyrics

• By: Nickelback
• Album: No Fixed Address

Lyrics & Translation

Learn English through the storytelling of Nickelback's 'Get 'Em Up'. This song is a fantastic tool for learners as it tells a complete, humorous narrative from beginning to end. You can learn colloquial phrases and vocabulary related to planning, crime, and failure, all within a catchy rock tune that makes memorization easy and fun.

[English]

His driver's license said James, he went by Jim

A gangster wannabe, yeah, 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

We 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 your phone

Don't be a hero, and you might just make it home"

Get 'em up

And get down

Reach for the sky

Then go ahead and kiss the ground

Get 'em up

And get down

Reach for the sky

Then go ahead and kiss the ground

Get 'em up

Get 'em, get 'em up

A freshly stolen Mustang small block 302

Drove past the bank a dozen times this afternoon

The only parking spot was half a block 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 your phone

Don't be a hero, and you might just make it home"

Get 'em up

And get down

Reach for the sky

Then go ahead and kiss the ground

Get 'em up

And 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 of 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 street and now we'll never know

Somebody call my mom and tell her I ain't coming home

Get 'em up

And get down

Reach for the sky

Then go ahead and kiss the ground

Get 'em up

And get down

Reach for the sky

Then go ahead and kiss the ground

Get 'em up

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
license /ˈlaɪsəns/ B1	noun - a legal document giving official permission to do something
gangster /ˈɡæŋstər/ B2	noun - a member of a gang of criminals
robbery /ˈrɒbəri/ B2	noun - the crime of taking or attempting to take something from a person or place by force or threat
cash /kæʃ/ A2	noun - money in the form of coins or banknotes
hero /ˈhɪəroʊ/ B1	noun - a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to experience dreams during sleep
floor /flɔːr/ A1	noun - the lower surface of a room
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A1	noun - the solid surface of the earth
mask /mæsk/ A2	noun - a covering for all or part of the face
plan /plæn/ A2	noun - a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something verb - to decide on and arrange in advance
steal /stiːl/ B1	verb - to take something without permission
cops /kɒps/ A2	noun - informal term for police officers
afternoon /ˌɑːf.təˈnuːn/ A2	noun - the time from noon to evening
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future