It has been suggested that Page collaborated with Coverdale in order to irk Page's former Led Zeppelin band-member Robert Plant, who up to that point had been reluctant to re-unite with Page.[1] In interviews at the time, Plant expressed some derision at the guitarist's collaboration with Coverdale.[2] Rumours emerged that Coverdale and Page would be joined by John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham in a reformed Led Zeppelin, but this did not pan out.[citation needed]
This studio album marked a return to commercial success for Page since his days with Led Zeppelin. However, after a series of concerts in Japan, sluggish tickets sales for a subsequent world tour resulted in the partnership being dissolved. Page subsequently teamed up with Plant for an "UnLedded" MTV project and Coverdale re-appeared from time to time with different Whitesnake line-ups.
Shake My Tree
Coverdale/Page Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You´re trying to drive me to an early grave
All I ever hear, is that you live an´ breathe for me
But, all you ever do, babe, is shake my tree
´Cos you keep on pushing, baby
Like you never, ever been in love before
I ain´t no schoolboy you can sacrifice
You want my love an´ you want it now
You try to love me, baby, but you don´t know how
So you keep on pushing, baby
Like you never, ever been in love before
I need love an´ I need time
An´ a little bit of both, if you want to be a friend of mine
I don´t want no woman, drive me outta my head
An´ you´re the kind of girl, guaranteed to wreck my bed
Love is what you need
But, you cut down to the bone an´ make me bleed
I give you everything an´ still you cry
Ooh, mama, the price of loving you is way too high
But, you keep on talking, baby, I´ve heard it all before
Now I don´t want you hanging around, or kicking at my door
But, you keep on pushing, mama
Like you never, ever been in love before
I know love an´ I know shame
An´ I ain´t gonna get caught up in your game
It took a little time to make me see
I ain´t lookin´ for a woman like you to shake my tree
So keep on talking, baby, keep on hangin´ around
Everything you do to me, is sure to drag me down
An´ you keep on pushing, mama
Like you never, ever been in love before
Shake my tree
I don´t want to be your slave
You´re trying to drive me to an early grave
You keep on talking, no matter what you say
I´ve had enough of your kind of love, to last me all my days
So keep on pushing baby, I´ve heard it all before
I don´t want you hanging around, or kicking at my door
Now I don´t want your loving, baby, I can´t take it anymore
I don´t want you hanging around, kicking at my door
If I see your face again, I´ll give you what´s in store
But, you´ll keep on pushing, baby
´Cos you´ve never, ever been in love before
In the song Shake My Tree by Coverdale/Page, the singer David Coverdale addresses a woman who is trying to possess him and lead him to an early grave. The repetition of the phrase "you keep on pushing, baby" signifies the woman's attempts to control and dominate him. He resents her insistence that she breathes only for him, while she does nothing but shake his tree. The phrase "Shake my tree" is a metaphor for her vexing behavior, shaking and disturbing his life without bringing any joy.
David Coverdale rejects the woman's advances, stating that he is not a schoolboy to be sacrificed at her will. He wants love and time, and he doesn't want a woman who will wreck his bed and his mind. He concludes that he doesn't need this woman's love, and he won't allow her to come back if she leaves.
The lyrics of Shake My Tree highlight the theme of taking control of one's own life and not letting anyone else manipulate or destroy it. It conveys that love should be mutual and not one-sided. The song is an example of the blues rock genre as it features a blend of blues, rock, and funk music.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I don´t want to be your slave
I do not wish to be under your complete control
You´re trying to drive me to an early grave
You are attempting to kill me, either physically or mentally
All I ever hear, is that you live an´ breathe for me
You constantly tell me that your entire existence is for me
But, all you ever do, babe, is shake my tree
But in reality, all you do is disturb my peace and cause chaos in my life
´Cos you keep on pushing, baby
Because you continue to force your way into my life
Like you never, ever been in love before
As if you have never experienced love or caring for another person in your life
I told you once an´ I told you twice
I have previously warned you multiple times
I ain´t no schoolboy you can sacrifice
I am not naive or inexperienced, so do not use me as a pawn in your games
You want my love an´ you want it now
You desire my love and attention, and you want it immediately
You try to love me, baby, but you don´t know how
You make an attempt to love me, but you are not capable of doing so in the correct manner
I need love an´ I need time
I require both an emotional connection and space
An´ a little bit of both, if you want to be a friend of mine
In order to be my friend, you need to give me a balance of love and space
I don´t want no woman, drive me outta my head
I do not want a woman who will make me go insane
An´ you´re the kind of girl, guaranteed to wreck my bed
And you are the type of woman who would ruin my bed and sleeping area
Love is what you need
You require love in your life
But, you cut down to the bone an´ make me bleed
But you hurt me deeply and make me suffer
I give you everything an´ still you cry
I provide you with everything, yet you continue to complain and cry
Ooh, mama, the price of loving you is way too high
The emotional cost of loving you is too much for me to handle
But, you keep on talking, baby, I´ve heard it all before
But you continue to speak without really saying anything new or worthwhile
Now I don´t want you hanging around, or kicking at my door
I no longer desire your presence in my life, and I do not wish for you to bother me
I know love an´ I know shame
I am familiar with both love and shame
An´ I ain´t gonna get caught up in your game
And I refuse to be trapped in your web of deceit and manipulation
It took a little time to make me see
It took some time for me to realize
I ain´t lookin´ for a woman like you to shake my tree
I am not searching for a woman like you to disrupt my life
So keep on talking, baby, keep on hangin´ around
So continue to speak and be present, but know that it will not affect me
Everything you do to me, is sure to drag me down
All of your actions towards me are certain to cause me harm or misery
I don´t want your loving, baby, I can´t take it anymore
I do not want your love, as I can no longer withstand its effects on my life
If I see your face again, I´ll give you what´s in store
If I encounter you again, I will give you what you deserve
But, you´ll keep on pushing, baby
But you will continue to be aggressive towards me
´Cos you´ve never, ever been in love before
Because you have never truly experienced love in your life
Shake my tree
Disturb my peace and cause chaos in my life
You keep on talking, no matter what you say
You speak incessantly, regardless of the content of your words
I´ve had enough of your kind of love, to last me all my days
I am done with the type of love that you provide, and I cannot handle it anymore
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID COVERDALE, JAMES PATRICK (JIMMY) PAGE, JIMMY PAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FrostedSeagull
I lived through this time period.
Coverdale Page Album
It was unfortunately released on the eve of Grunge. It received little or no support from their own Record Company. I remember an irate Jimmy Page saying their huge would tour was cancelled as the Coverdale Page album hadn't quote 'sold enough copies. '
Jimmy Page said 'that's why we were touring, to obtain further sales.'
Real Reason
Alternative music had taken hold and just like 1976 - 77 in the UK when punk exploded, Led Zeppelin solos were a definitive no no by late 1990. Geffen who championed both Aerosmith and Gun'N'Roses was now pushing Nirvana.
Furthermore the huge selling Appetite for Destruction by Gun'N'Roses stole the limelight from David and Jimmy's album. The ultimate irony being that when Gun'N'Roses released Use Your Illusion I and II in 1991, they were blatantly copying Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti and Houses of the Holy.
Had Coverdale Page been released in 1988 it would have easily went 4 X Platinum.
People criticised Jimmy Page for playing like he did in Led Zeppelin.
How stupid !
How was Page supposed to play ?
@thicctanmyers
MAN, it’s a crime this isn’t on Apple Music. Remember my grandma buying a box of CDs at a benefit auction when I was a kid and giving me the entire box. Came across this gem in that box, still hits just as hard as it did 25 years ago when I would listen to it.
@bzoddeckup
It was for a long time and they took it down. Still pissed about it
@thicctanmyers
I wonder why it was removed? I’m sure something with the licensing but come on.
@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ
They are working on a boxed set/remaster for 2023 which would be the 30th Anniversary… Where does the time go?
@lesmorrow226
Being mad about not finding this on iTunes is what brought me here, lol
@hopeharp7276
Not on Spotify either. 😢
@rmrib5
One of the most underrated álbuns of all time.
@msturn1975
It really is.
@joebeastyg5686
rmrib5 They caught lightening in a bottle when they made this album.
@lisarooks5823
DAMN right❤❤❤