Get 'Em Up

Album: No Fixed Address (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger detailing a robbery-gone-stupid. Speaking to Loudwire, Kroeger said about the track: "I've always wanted to write a song about a bank robbery. If I couldn't be involved in a bank robbery, I gotta write a good one. My band members still haven't figured out that this is a metaphor from an instance early on in my life."

    "I thought, instead of it being this scene out of the movie Heat, a very serious thing, I pictured these two guys who come up with this plan and it's just going to be fantastic," he continued. "There's going to be machine guns, and they're going to roll up in this hot muscle car and they're going to kick the front door in and they're going to get the money and they're going to get away scot free and then they're going to head to Mexico or whatever."

    "That's what the planning stage looks like, then once they get there they can't find a place to park," Kroeger added. "They drive around the block a half a dozen times, or twelve times, or whatever I say in the car. Then they finally get parked, get out of the car, start walking towards the bank and start practicing what they're going to say when we get in there, that whole thing. They go to kick the front door in and it's Sunday. The bank is closed. There are two cops standing across the street and it just turns into this - and I picture almost the Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, absurdity of it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Maxi Priest

Maxi PriestSongwriter Interviews

The British reggae legend tells the story of his #1 hit "Close To You," talks about his groundbreaking Shabba Ranks collaboration "Housecall," and discusses his latest project with Robin Trower.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

N.W.A vs. the World

N.W.A vs. the WorldSong Writing

How the American gangsta rappers made history by getting banned in the UK.