Shut it Down

Album: Crash My Party (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This Tony Martin, Wendell Mobley and Neil Thrasher penned cut is built around the around the lyric "any hay to make can wait for now." Bryan commented that it's probably the first time he's done "a real, real sexy song."
  • The song finds Bryan singing about a farmer literally leaving the hay that he is making so that he and his wife can figuratively go make hay while the sun shines. The double meaning is based on the expression "make hay while the sun shines," meaning to act promptly when the opportunity arises. Other similar metaphors include "strike while the iron is hot" and "take time by the forelock."
  • Bing Crosby and Marion Davies sung a song titled "We'll Make Hay While the Sun Shines" in the 1933 movie Going Hollywood. It used the expression in a similar way:

    "Take me where the daisies
    Cover the country lanes
    We'll make hay while the sun shines
    We'll make love when it rains."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Second Wind Songs

Second Wind SongsSong Writing

Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)Song Writing

How a gym teacher, a janitor, and a junkie became part of some very famous band names.

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

Gary Louris of The Jayhawks

Gary Louris of The JayhawksSongwriter Interviews

The Jayhawks' song "Big Star" has special meaning to Gary, who explains how longevity and inspiration have trumped adulation.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.