'Shake It to the Ground' - who wrote it?

Subject: Lyr Add: SHAKE IT TO THE GROUND
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 06:20 PM

OK, maybe the third time is the charm with this one. I heard this song in a song circle at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington in 1990. The woman who sang it said that SHE learned it at a song circle from a man who disappeared before she could ask him anything about the song. Does anybody know who wrote this song, or anything about it? The last time I made this request (six months ago), I sent the tune to Joe Offer, so it's available somewhere in Mudcatworld.

SHAKE IT TO THE GROUND
(author unknown)

Preacher man shoutin' that gospel out
Thumpin' that Bible, pumpin' that crowd
Hallelujah, shout out loud
Shakin' it to the ground
Me and my baby sittin' in a pew
Shoutin' "Amen" and "Hallelu"
Gettin' into that whoop-de-doo
Shakin' it to the ground

CHORUS

Shake, shake, shakin', shake, shake, shakin'
No more foolin' round, shakin' it to the ground

Now in the garden there was a snake
An apple he wanted Eve to take
So he gave the tree a shake
Shakin' it to the ground
Well, Eve she gave her man a bite
It opened up his appetite
They spent that very night
Shakin' it to the ground

CHORUS

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
He said, "Those walls have got to go"
So he told the boys to blow
Shakin' it to the ground
Well, some blew sharp and some blew flat
Joshua sang a line of scat
The walls fell over just like that
Shakin' it to the ground

CHORUS

Now Samson he was very strong
But only when his hair was long
Delilah shaved him to the bone
Shakin' it to the ground
But when his hair grew back again
In the heathen temple he made a stand
Took a pillar in each hand
Shakin' it to the ground

CHORUS

Now me and my baby went back home
Doused the lights and killed the phone
In the bedroom all alone
Shakin' it to the ground
My baby told me, verily
That she would like to marry me
'Cause I shake better than Jerry Lee
Shakin' it to the ground

CHORUS

Anybody know it?

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: 'Shake It to the Ground' - who wrote it?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 10:54 PM

I will look in my spirituals books and see, that's where I'd expect to find it. If I do, I will have a tune I can send you.

~S~

Subject: RE: 'Shake It to the Ground' - who wrote it?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 11:14 PM

Thanks, Susan, but I already know the tune; I sent it to Joe as a NWC file back in March. (I'll send him a message and see if he can put a link to the tune in this thread.) What I'd like to know is who wrote the song. If you do find it in your spirituals books, that would be great. From the references to "scat" and "Jerry Lee", and its musical style, I'd suspect it was written sometime in the '50s or early '60s. But I'd really appreciate having any information about the song. I love singing it (sounds great with an improvisational doo-wop backup chorus!), and as a sometime songwriter I like to give credit when I can. I hope the 'Cat will come through this time!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: 'Shake It to the Ground' - who wrote it?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 01:25 AM

I missed the tune reference in your post, sorry Mark.

I was thinking that this was probably based on an old spiritual-- unless Jerry Lee was actually born about ten thousand years ago. *G* It's amazing (to me) how many items I am finding in that darn book that I thought were written by the people who recorded secular or blues-gospel versions based on them!

How about sending me the tune?

~S~

Subject: RE: 'Shake It to the Ground' - who wrote it?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 11:35 PM

I guess instead of "third time's the charm" it's more like "three strikes and you're out". Come on, somebody must have heard this song--it's a gem! I sang it on HearMe back when there was HearMe, and it got a great response, in spite of my singing. Susan's working on the possibility that it's an old gospel song that was updated in the 50s. Where's that ol' Mudcat magic?

Aloha,
Mark