"Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart"

The Annotated "Shakedown Street"

An installment in The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics.
By David Dodd
Library, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
"Shakedown Street"
Words by Robert Hunter; music by Jerry Garcia
Copyright Ice Nine Publishing; used by permission

You tell me this town ain't got no heart
(Well, well, well - you can never tell)
The sunny side of the street is dark
(Well, well, well - You can never tell)
Maybe that's 'cause it's midnight
and the dark of the moon besides, or
maybe the dark is in your eyes (3x)
You know you got such dark eyes

Nothin shakin on Shakedown street
used to be the heart of town
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart
You just gotta poke around

You say you've seen this town clear through
(Well, well, well - you can never tell)
Nothin here that could interest you
(Well, well, well - you can never tell)
It's not because you missed out
on the thing we had to start
Maybe you had to much to fast (3x)
and just overplayed your part

Nothin shakin on Shakedown street
used to be the heart of town
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart
You just gotta poke around

Since I'm, passing your way today
(Well, well, well - You can never tell)
I just stopped in cause I want to say
(Well, well, well - You can never tell)
I recall your darkness
when it crackled like a thundercloud
don't tell me this town ain't got no heart (3x)
when I can hear it beat out loud

Nothin shakin on Shakedown street
used to be the heart of town
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart
You just gotta poke around


"Shakedown Street"

Recorded on

Covered by

First performance: August 31, 1978, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado. "Shakedown" opened the second set, and was followed by "Good Lovin'." Also performed for the first time was "From the Heart of Me."


you can never tell

Reminiscent of the Chuck Berry tune, "C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)"

Sunny side of the street

"On the Sunny Side of the Street," is a song by Jimmy McHugh (1894-1969), with words by Dorothy Fields. Wilder's American Popular Song has this to say about the tune:
"One of [McHugh's] earliest and best-known songs is "On the Sunny Side Of The Street," from "Lew Leslie's International Revue" (1930). It's one of the jazz musicians' favorites, havingprecisely the springboard from which they love to leap. Singers, as well, love it as much for its extremely fine lyric, by Dorothy Fields, as for its music." (p. 406)
The words:
"Grab your coat, and get your hat,
Leave your worry on the doorstep,
Just direct your feet
To the sunny side of the street,
Can't you hear a pitter-pat?
And that happy tune is your step,
Life can be so sweet
On the sunny side of the street.
I used to walk in the shade
With those blues on parade
But I'm not afraid
This Rover crossed over
If I never have a cent
I'll be rich as Rockefeller,
Gold dust at my feet
On the sunny side of the street."

keywords: @dark, @heart, @thunder
DeadBase code: [SHAK]
First posted: August 31, 1995
Last revised: July 16, 1996