Turn It Off is track 5 off of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of The Book of Mormon. It was composed and written by South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Avenue Q creator, Robert Lopez. The Broadway recording contains vocals by Rory O'Malley, Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad, Scott Barnhardt, Justin Bohon, Kevin Duda, Clark Johnsen, Benjamin Schrader, Brian Sears, and Jason Michael Snow.
In the musical, Elder Price has just discovered how awful Uganda is, and Elder McKinley is trying to cheer him up by explaining his wonderful Mormon trick of repressing bad thoughts and completely denying one's self.
Song
Audio and lyrics from the Original Broadway Cast Recording.
Lyrics
ELDER MCKINLEY:
I got a feeling,
That you could be feeling,
A whole lot better then you feel today.
You say you got a problem,
well that's no problem,
It's super easy not to feel that way!
When you start to get confused because of thoughts in your head,
Don't feel those feelings!
Hold them in instead.
Turn it off, like a light switch
just go click!
It's a cool little Mormon trick!
We do it all the time.
When your feeling certain feels that just don't feel right
Treat those pesky feelings like a reading light
and turn em off,
Like a light switch,
just go bap!
Really what's so hard about that?
Turn it off! (Turn it off!)
When I was young my dad,
Would treat my mom real bad,
every time the Utah Jazz would lose.
He'd start a drinking,
and I'd start a thinking,
How am I gonna keep my mom from getting abused?
I'd see her all scared and my soul was dying,
My dad would say to me, "Now don't you dare start crying."
Turn it off, (Like a light switch just go click!)
(It's our nifty little Mormon trick!)
Turn it off! (Turn. It. Off!)
My Sister was a dancer, but she got cancer,
My doctor said she still had two months more.
I thought she had time, so I got in line
for the new iPhone at the Apple store.
She lay there dying with my father and mother.
Her very last words were, "where is my brother?"
(Turn it off!) Yeah! (Bid those sad feelings adieu!)
The fear I might get cancer too,
Ha ha... heh... hm...
When I was in fifth grade, I had a friend Steve Blade, (Steve Blade)
He and I were close as two friend could be.
One thing led to another, and soon I would discover,
I was having really strange feelings for Steve.
I thought about us, on a deserted island
We'd swim naked in the sea, and then he'd try and...
WOAH! Turn if off, like a light switch,
there it's gone! (Good for you!)
My hetero side just won!
I'm all better now,
Boys should be with girls that's heavenly father's plan
So if you ever feel you'd rather be with a man,
Turn it off.
ELDER PRICE:
Well Elder McKinley, I think it's ok that your having gay thoughts,
just so long as you never act on them.
ELDER MCKINLEY:
No, because then your just keeping it down,
Like a dimmer switch on low, (On low!)
Thinking nobody needs to know! (Uh oh!)
ELDER PRICE:
But that's not true!
ELDER MCKINLEY:
Being gay is bad, but lying is worse,
So just realize you have a curable curse,
And turn it off! (Turn it off, turn it off!)
Turn it off!
Now how do you feel!
ELDER PRICE:
The same
ELDER MCKINLEY:
Then you only got yourself to blame,
You didn't pretend hard enough,
Imagine that your brain is made of tiny boxes,
and find the box that's gay and CRUSH IT!
OK?
ELDER PRICE:
No, no, -I'm- not having gay thoughts
ELDER CUNNINGHAM:
Alright! It worked!
(Yay!)
(Turn it off!)
(Turn it off, Turn it off!)
(Turn it off, turn it off like a light switch just go click click!
What a cool little Mormon Trick! Trick trick!
We do it all the time!)
ELDER MCKINLEY:
When your feeling certain feelings that just don't seem right!
Treat those pesky feelings like a reading light!
Turn it off! (Like a light switch, shut it off!)
(Now he isn't gay anymore!)
(Turn it, turn it, turn it, turn it...!)
(Turn it, turn it, turn it, turn it...!)
(Turn it...)
ELDER MCKINLEY:
Turn it off!
