Shake Sugaree -

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

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

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

The term "Sugaree" and the refrain "shake sugaree" have several interpretations:

: Some scholars believe the word is a corruption of "shegureh," a West African percussion instrument made of a gourd enclosed in a bead net. "" is a classic folk-blues song written and

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

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

: Other theories suggest it refers to a North Carolina Native American tribe (the Sugaree) or serves as gambling slang for "shaking dice". Musical Legacy