Shake Sugaree -

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

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

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

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

: Cotten composed the guitar part first and played it for her great-grandchildren. : Cotten composed the guitar part first and

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

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

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