Shakedown Street

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia

You tell me this town ain't got no heart
(Well, well, well, you can never tell)
The sunny side of the street is dark
(Well, well, well, you can never tell)
Maybe that's 'cause it's midnight (note 1
And the dark of the moon besides
Maybe the dark is from your eyes
(Maybe the dark is from your eyes)
Maybe the dark is from your eyes
(Maybe the dark is from your eyes)
Maybe the dark is from your eyes
(Maybe the dark is from your eyes)
You know you got such dark eyes

Chorus
Nothing shaking on Shakedown Street
Used to be the heart of town
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart
You just got to poke around

You think you've seen this town clear through
(Well, well, well, you can never tell)
Nothing here could interest you
(Well, well, well, you can never tell)
It's not because you missed out
On the thing that we had to start
Maybe you had too much too fast
(Maybe you had too much too fast)
Maybe you had too much too fast
(Maybe you had too much too fast)
Maybe you had too much too fast
(Maybe you had too much too fast)
And just overplayed your part

[chorus]

Since I'm passing your way today
(Well, well, well, you can never tell)
I just stopped in 'cause I want to say
(Well, well, well, you can never tell)
I recall your darkness
When it crackled like a thunder cloud
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart
(Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart)
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart
(Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart)
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart
(Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart)
I can hear it beat out loud

[chorus]
Notes
(1) Jerry sang "Maybe because it's sunlight on 15 April 1983.

Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
     studio 1978 Shakedown Street (note 2)
     16 Sep 1978 Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978
     12 May 1979 30 Days Of The Dead (2023)
     13 Aug 1979 Beyond Description: Bonus CD
     25 Oct 1979 Road Trips Volume 1, Number 1
      9 Dec 1979 Dave's Picks Vol 47
     12 Dec 1979 30 Days Of The Dead (2019)
     26 Dec 1979 Dick's Picks Vol 5
      7 May 1980 Road Trips Volume 3, Number 4
      7 Oct 1980 Dead Set (note 3)
     30 Oct 1980 Dead Ahead (DVD)
     24 Mar 1981 30 Days Of The Dead (2013)
     16 May 1981 30 Trips Around The Sun (note 8)
     10 Oct 1981 30 Days Of The Dead (2020)
      6 Apr 1982 Road Trips Volume 4, Number 4 (note 6)
     20 Sep 1982 In And Out Of The Garden
     26 Apr 1983 Dave's Picks Volume 39
     14 Jun 1984 30 Days Of The Dead (2016)
     20 Oct 1984 30 Days Of The Dead (2017)
     31 Dec 1984 So Many Roads (1965-1995)
      1 Apr 1986 30 Days Of The Dead (2020) (note 13)
     26 Jul 1987 View From The Vault IV (DVD & CD soundtrack)
     18 Sep 1987 30 Trips Around The Sun
      2 Apr 1989 Download Series Vol 9
      9 Jul 1989 Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991 Boxed Set (note 4)
     31 Dec 1989 30 Days Of The Dead (2012)
     18 Mar 1990 Spring 1990 (The Other One)
      3 Apr 1990 Spring 1990 (The Other One)
     19 Oct 1990 30 Days Of The Dead (2017)
     22 Jun 1991 All The Year's Combine (DVD bonus disc) (note 12)
     10 Sep 1991 30 Trips Around The Sun
     20 Mar 1992 30 Trips Around The Sun (note 7)
     16 Dec 1992 Dick's Picks Vol 27
     27 May 1993 Road Trips Vol 2, No 4
     15 Oct 1994 30 Days Of The Dead (2018)
      4 Jul 2015 Fare Thee Well (CD and DVD) (note 9)
 
Phil Lesh and Friends Recordings
     18 May 2006 Live At The Warfield
 
(Plus live recordings by The Dead, Furthur, Dead & Company, Ratdog, Phil Lesh & Friends etc not listed here. See Grateful Dead Family Discography for a full list.)
 
Other Recordings
     Date Album Recorded By
     1989 Doorway To The Angels Juggling Suns
     1991 Knot Live Slipknot
     1993 Tie Dyed Freshly Baked
     1996 Dark Star David Murray Octet
     1997 Jake's Leg Jake's Leg
     1997 Natural Habitat Kuli Loach
     1997 Fire On The Mountain Vol 2 Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead (Marcia Griffiths)
     2001 Howling Loochie Brothers Howling Loochie Brothers
     31 Oct 2001 Trick Or Treat Box Set String Cheese Incident
     2003 Grateful Guitar David Cullen
     30 Oct 2004 On The Road: Chicago, IL String Cheese Incident (note 11)
     2006 Something Red Craig Einhorn
     2006 Srtandin' On The Road PJ Elliott
     12 May 2006 12 Galaxies, San Francisco, CA New Monsoon
     28 Jul 2007 Fuji Rock Festival, Naeba, Japan Gov't Mule (note 11)
     2008 30 Years Jake's Leg
     2008 Greetinfs From Groovesboro The Groove
     2008 Funky Freedom The Gumbo Brothers
     2009 Howie DeWitt Howie DeWitt
     2009 Yoga Tribute To Grateful Dead Yoga Pop Ups (note 10)
     2010 Downriverelectric Boombox
     2010 Blottopia XI Day 1 Mr Blotto
     2011 Warren Haynes Presents: The Benefit Concert: Vol 4 Bob Weir & Friends
     2011 Jerry Jams for Rex II STS9
     17 Mar 2011 Live: Beacon Theater, NYC Allman Brothers Band (note 11)
      4 Aug 2012 Live: San Rafael, CA Yonder Mountain String Band (note 11)
     2012 Clown Royal D-Madness
     2012 D'Eadphibians D'Amphibiand
     2013 Move Me Brightly Bob Weir et al (DVD)
      7 Dec 2013 Dos Grateful Grass
     31 Jul 2014 Live: Washington, DC Disco Biscuits (note 11)
     13 Dec 2014 Warren Haynes Presents: The Benefit Concert Vol 16 Billy & The Kids
      7 Mar 2015 Live: Portland, OR The Infamous Stringdusters (note 11)
     14 May 2015 Dear Jerry: Celebrating The Music Of Jerry Garcia Yonder Mountain String Band
     2015 Songs Of Their Own Yonder Mountain String Band
      8 Sep 2015 Live: Spokane, WA Jackie Greene (note 11)
     2016 Day Of The Dead Unknown Mortal Orchestra
     2018 Grateful Dub Roots of Creation
     2019 Dead Air The Judy Chops
Notes
(2) also on the compilatiosn The Arista Years and The Best Of The Grateful Dead.
(3) issued as a bonus track in the box set Beyond Description (1973-1990)
(4) also on the DVD included with deluxe edition of the Grateful Dead Scrapbook
(5) versions of "Shakedown Street" are on various of String Cheese Incident's "On The Road" releases.
(6) also made avaiilable for download on 30 Days Of The Dead (2010)
(7) also made avaiilable for download on 30 Days Of The Dead (2011)
(8) also on the compilation 30 Trips Around The Sun: The Definitive Live Story 1965-1995
(9) also on the compilation Best Of Fare Thee Well.
(10) also released as "Lullaby Versions of Grateful Dead"
(11) The list above includes only one illustrative example of the series of live recordings by these artists. For a full list see the Grateful Dead Family Discography.
(12) also released as an official YouTube video
(13) also made avaiilable for download on 30 Days Of The Dead (2024)


Further Information
For an online discussion of the lyrics to this song see the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For information on references in the lyrics see David Dodd's Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics
For David Dodd's discussion of this song on dead.net see Greatest Stories Ever Told
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com
For sheet music, see:
          Grateful Dead Anthology Volume 1 (piano arrangement)
          Garcia/Hunter Songbook (vocal line and chords/TAB)

 

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