Barbara Keith began her career at the Café Wha? in Greenwich Village, following in the footsteps of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Cosby and many others who got their start in that hallowed dive. She was soon recording for MGM/Verve, A&M, and Warner Brothers. Her songs have been covered by such diverse artists as Tanya Tucker, Barbra Streisand, The Dillards, Melanie, Hank Snow, Lowell George and others. “The Bramble and the Rose” has become a folk standard – often receiving the ultimate compliment of being mistaken for a traditional song.
Her husband Doug Tibbles had a whole other life before drumming – A native of Los Angeles, he was a TV writer for such shows as “The Munsters”, “Bewitched”, “Andy Griffith”, “My Three Sons”, “Family Affair”, and many more.
Unhappy with show business in general, Barbara gave back her major label advance, Doug quit his one-day-old job as story editor for “Happy Days”, and they went underground. Doug took up drums and son John took up bass at age eleven. Reclusive by choice, the band moved from L.A. to Western Massachusetts to write and woodshed. They began playing the occasional show while recording in their cellar.
When best selling author Elmore Leonard (“Get Shorty”, “Jackie Brown”, “Out of Sight”) walked in the Troubadour in L.A. one night looking for inspiration for his sequel to “Get Shorty”, he discovered The Stone Coyotes.
They became the model for Chili Palmer’s next adventure, “Be Cool”. Leonard said, “ It was music I could understand…straight ahead rock and roll with a twang. And there are good stories going on in the songs.” He included their lyrics in the book and dedicated it to them. He and the band made a string of appearances together around the country with a Words and Music Tour – from New York’s Mercury Lounge to L.A.’s Viper Room.
More recently with five songs on "Dog the Bounty Hunter", they gained national attention, but it is the grass roots, word-of-mouth response to their music that continues their momentum.
“The Stone Coyotes are a rare wild beast in a domesticated music industry.”
- Rolling Stone Online
“The Stone Coyotes’ hefty sound melds AC/DC’s charging power chords with a country troubadour’s literate observations.”
- New York Magazine
“The Stone Coyotes crank out unpretentious rock that has grime on its fingers and transcendence in its heart.”
- The Nashville Scene
“Poised to be the coolest husband-wife-and-son rock and roll trio ever…Those wary of a hype short on substance should rest assured – this family has the chops to back it up.”
- The L. A. Weekly
“Powerful and gritty, with just a hint of sweetness and sorrow.”
- Real Detroit Weekly
“Likely one of the festival’s best discoveries… The Stone Coyotes rocked and shocked the Horseshoe audience Saturday night with their AC/DC meets Patsy Cline sound.”
- Toronto Now
Shake
The Stone Coyotes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I heard a woman cry
"Do you think I'm made of iron?
How dare you pass me by?
I've seen your kind before
You seem so self-assured
What are you doing walking on the
Looking so demure?"
And then she started swaying
She said, "I've disconnected from the whole
Can't you hear? The band is playing
Shake, Rattle and Roll"
The sidewalk is her ballroom
Her dress a tattered grey
People stop and whisper
"I wonder how she got that way"
She said, "I like to let my hair down
Let it fall and let it flow
Dance to all the old songs
I remember long ago"
I tried to break it gently
I said, "No one hears your song"
She said, "What makes you so sure
you've got it right
And I've got it wrong?
You can keep your comforts of home
They mean nothing to me
I prefer the wreckage
Of a life that used to be"
The Stone Coyotes's song Shake tells the story of a woman who is misunderstood by society, and is judged for living a life that is unconventional. The song opens with the woman crying out to "Great God Almighty", asking why she is being ignored and overlooked by the people around her. She laments that people like her have been seen before, and that they are often judged because they "seem so self-assured". The woman then begins to sway to the music that she hears, disconnecting from the world around her and enjoying herself in the moment. She tells the singer that she likes to dance to old songs, letting her hair down and enjoying herself the way that she wants to.
The woman's unconventional lifestyle is evident in the way that she is dressed, as her dress is described as "tattered grey". The people around her are curious about her, wondering how she got to be the way that she is. The woman is unbothered by their whispers and comments, as she is fully committed to living her life on her own terms. When the singer tries to tell her that no one is hearing her song, she rebuffs him, asking how he knows that he has it right and she has it wrong. She tells him that she prefers the wreckage of a life that used to be, rather than the comforts of home that he offers.
Line by Line Meaning
Great God Almighty
Expression used to start the song with enthusiasm
I heard a woman cry
The singer heard a woman talking loudly
"Do you think I'm made of iron?
The woman poses a rhetorical question of whether or not she is a emotionless machine
How dare you pass me by?
The woman is offended that she was being overlooked
I've seen your kind before
The woman has encountered someone like the person she is addressing before
You seem so self-assured
The woman thinks the person she is addressing appears confident
What are you doing walking on the
wild side
The woman questions the person's intentions for taking a risk or doing something unusual
Looking so demure?"
The woman thinks the person she is addressing seems shy and reserved despite their actions
"And then she started swaying
The woman begins to move rhythmically to the beat of the music
She said, "I've disconnected from the whole
The woman is feeling out of touch with reality
Can't you hear? The band is playing
The woman is referring to the sounds around her
Shake, Rattle and Roll"
The woman is referring to the classic rock and roll song and wants to dance to the music
The sidewalk is her ballroom
The woman is imagining that the sidewalk is a dance floor
Her dress a tattered grey
The woman's outfit is old and worn out
People stop and whisper
Passerby pause to gossip about the woman's odd behavior
"I wonder how she got that way"
People are judging the woman and wondering how she ended up in her current state
She said, "I like to let my hair down
The woman enjoys being free and uninhibited
Let it fall and let it flow
The woman likes to let her hair run wild
Dance to all the old songs
The woman likes to dance to classic hits
I remember long ago"
The woman is reminiscing about the past
I tried to break it gently
The singer empathizes with the woman and tries to communicate with her in a gentle manner
I said, "No one hears your song"
The singer tried to make the woman understand that she is not being noticed by the people around her
She said, "What makes you so sure
The woman counters the singer's statement with a question
you've got it right
And I've got it wrong?
The woman thinks that the singer may be wrong about her situation
You can keep your comforts of home
The woman does not care for the ordinary things in life
They mean nothing to me
The woman is indifferent to common pleasures
I prefer the wreckage
The woman prefers the chaos and the unexpected
Of a life that used to be"
The woman thinks about the exciting past she once had
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: KEITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind