Shake | Sugaree

The song has had a profound impact on the folk and rock genres: Shake Sugaree (Elizabeth Cotten/Peter Keane) - Elijah Wald

: It may refer to the practice of throwing sugar on a floor and dancing on it to create a percussive "shuffling" sound.

"" is a classic folk-blues song written and popularized by the legendary Elizabeth Cotten . Origins and Composition Shake Sugaree

: Some scholars believe the word is a corruption of "shegureh," a West African percussion instrument made of a gourd enclosed in a bead net.

The term "Sugaree" and the refrain "shake sugaree" have several interpretations: The song has had a profound impact on

: The verses were largely contributed by the children, each adding words or phrases to the song.

The song was recorded in the mid-1960s and serves as the title track for her 1967 album on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings . The term "Sugaree" and the refrain "shake sugaree"

: The original recording features Cotten’s 12-year-old great-granddaughter, Brenda Evans , on lead vocals. Meaning of "Sugaree"