Gil Scott-Heron's "Shut 'em down" anthem lives on

Gil Scott-Heron who died at the weekend, (see tribute further down this page) composed his call for a nuclear shutdown back in 1980 for the MUSE concert. But it sadly remains relevant today. Germany, at least, is listening (see report below).

Listen here.

Check out the powerful (and eerily prescient, given the Fukushima earthquake-tsunami-nuclear catastophe) lyrics:

“Did you feel that rumble? Did you hear that sound,
Well It wasn’t no earthquake but it shook the ground,
Made me think about power like it or not,
Got to work for Earth for what it’s worth,
'Cause it’s the only Earth we’ve got,
 
Shut ‘em down
if that’s the only way to keep them from melting down,
Shut ‘em down
if that’s the only way to keep them from melting down,
 
I heard a lot about safety and human error,
A few dials and gauges is just a wing and a prayer,
If you need perfection and that’s what it takes,
Then you don’t need people, can’t use people,
You know people make mistakes,
 
Shut ‘em down
if that’s the only way to keep them from melting down,
Shut ‘em down
if that’s the only way to keep them from melting down
 
Did you feel that rumble? Did you hear that sound,
Well it wasn’t no earthquake but it shook the ground,
Made me think about power like it or not,
Got to work for Earth for what it’s worth,
'Cause it’s the only Earth we’ve got,
 
Shut ‘em down
if that’s the only way to keep them from melting down,
Shut ‘em down
if that’s the only way to keep them from melting down...”

Rest in Power, Gil Scott-Heron, April 1, 1949 to Infinity (from a tribute posted at the Glut Food Co-Op in Mount Rainier, Maryland)