During the 1980s, his reputation was established through frequent touring and recurring performances on A Prairie Home Companion. Subsequently, his work has been nominated for Grammy awards. He also founded his own record label and named it Red House Records after a home he lived in in Iowa. Red House Records is an independent record label specializing in folk music, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Well known folk artists have signed with Red House Records over the years include Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Tom Paxton and Loudin Wainwright III. A Red House Records compilation, A Nod to Bob, was said to be a tribute from a Minnesota label to a favorite native son - guess who?
On November 21, 2002 he married the singer-songwriter Iris DeMent. His daughters (from a previous marriage) are also musicians.
From: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Brown_%28folk_musician%29
Shake Sugaree
Greg Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'll sing it right once or twice-
Oh lordy me, didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is in the pawn.
Everything I got.
Pawned my chair and I pawned my bed,
And ain't got no place to lay my head.
Everything I got is in the pawn
Everything I got.
Grow my tobacco and I spit my juice-
Well I would raise cain, but it ain't a bit of use
Oh lordy me, didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is in the pawn.
Everything I got.
Pawned my tobacco and I pawned my pipe,
Pawned everything that was in my sight.
Oh lordy me, didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is in the pawn.
Everything I got.
I'm going sailing in a wooden shoe
Looking for a star I could tell my troubles to
Oh lordy me, didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is in the pawn.
Everything I got.
First star to the right and it's straight on 'til morn,
I never saw such such night since I was born.
Oh lordy me, didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is in the pawn.
Everything I got.
Have a little secret; I ain't going to tell,
I'm going to heaven in a brown pea shell.
Oh lordy me, didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is in the pawn.
Everything I got.
Pawned my horse and I pawned my plow.
Pawned everything, even pawned my old milk cow.
Oh lordy me, didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is in the pawn.
Everything I got.
Have a little secret and I ain't going to tell,
I'm going to heaven and I'm not going to ....
Oh lordy me, didn't I shake sugaree
Everything I got is in the pawn.
Everything I got.
I have a little song and it won't take long...
The song "Shake Sugaree" by Greg Brown is a powerful song of struggle and perseverance. At its core, it describes the hardships of poverty and the lengths to which the singer had to go in order to survive. The repeated line of "Everything I got is in the pawn" echoes throughout the song, highlighting the singer's struggle to hold onto anything and everything that they own. The line, "Pawned my chair and I pawned my bed, and ain't got no place to lay my head" is particularly poignant, symbolizing the singer's loss of comfort and stability as a result of their circumstances.
Throughout the song, the singer grapples with the difficult reality of their situation. They grow tobacco, but can't afford to smoke it. They don't have a horse or a plow, and have even pawned their old milk cow. Yet despite these struggles, there is a sense of determination in the singer's voice. They sing: "I'm going sailing in a wooden shoe, looking for a star I could tell my troubles to." This line indicates that, despite everything, the singer is still searching for hope and a way to rise above their circumstances.
Overall, "Shake Sugaree" is a powerful snapshot of life on the margins of society. It portrays the hardships and struggles of poverty, while also highlighting the resilience and determination that is necessary to survive in such circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
I have a little song and it won't take long
I have a simple tune that won't take much time
And I'll sing it right once or twice-
And I'll sing it properly just a couple times
Oh lordy me, didn't I shake sugaree
An expression of self-pity and regret for past actions
Everything I got is in the pawn.
All my belongings are in pawnshops
Everything I got.
Emphasis on the fact that everything was pawned
Pawned my chair and I pawned my bed,
Had to sell furniture to get by
And ain't got no place to lay my head.
Homeless and nowhere to sleep
Grow my tobacco and I spit my juice-
Tobacco farming and chewing
Well I would raise cain, but it ain't a bit of use
Expression of futility in trying to improve situation
Pawned my tobacco and I pawned my pipe,
Even had to sell tobacco and smoking pipe
Pawned everything that was in my sight.
Had to sell everything possible for money
I'm going sailing in a wooden shoe
Going on an impractical journey with limited means
Looking for a star I could tell my troubles to
Searching for someone to confide in and seek comfort from
First star to the right and it's straight on 'til morn,
Navigating aimlessly with a vague destination
I never saw such such night since I was born.
Feeling overwhelmed by the unknown and uncertain
Have a little secret; I ain't going to tell,
Keeping a private thought or plan to oneself
I'm going to heaven in a brown pea shell.
Believing in a far-fetched fantasy or delusion
Pawned my horse and I pawned my plow.
Had to sell farming equipment and transportation
Pawned everything, even pawned my old milk cow.
Desperate enough to sell the last valuable possession
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TAJ MAHAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind