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Shakedown on 9th Street Lyrics

head on down to 9th street gal
let's go out a kickin with the boys and the gals
wear your dress and bring my ring
someone's gonna get it, ain't gonna be me

lucy, lucy my gal
lucy, lucy my sweet
lucy, lucy my gal
i was just gonna hit 'em
but i'm gonna kill 'em now

we all met about a half past three
lucy, she was rockin by my kickin machine
too many straights and not enough grease
that's when lucy got it in the chest, i think

lucy, lucy my gal
lucy, lucy my sweet
lucy, lucy my gal
i was just gonna hit 'em
but i'm gonna kill 'em now

they started fighting
i was screaming for him
boots all dirt
and sexy and thin
on come the lights
from the straights
in their cars
i was just a laughin'
when i hit the floor

lucy, lucy my gal
lucy, lucy my sweet
lucy, lucy my gal
i was just gonna hit 'em
but i'm gonna kill 'em now
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Cover art for Shakedown on 9th Street lyrics by Ryan Adams

this is what real country should sound like--fun music with good lyrics

Cover art for Shakedown on 9th Street lyrics by Ryan Adams

I can't believe only one person has commented on this song! It's so fantastic and fun. I love every Ryan Adams song, but this is one of his catchier ones, like "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High." So much fun to dance to. I'm not really sure what it means, though. What's a kicking machine?

Cover art for Shakedown on 9th Street lyrics by Ryan Adams

Whoops. Forgot a parenthesis. Should be "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)." Not that it matters.

Cover art for Shakedown on 9th Street lyrics by Ryan Adams

I think it's about getting into a fight at one of his shows because someone is messin' with his girl. Messin' meaning bothering her not getting with her. "i was just gonna hit 'em but i'm gonna kill 'em now."

Cover art for Shakedown on 9th Street lyrics by Ryan Adams

I think it's about an old fashioned rumble. It reminds me of the book "The Outsiders," which I read in high school. I take that "straits" refer to the "straight-laced" rich kids, like the Socs in Outsiders, and "grease" is the greasers.

So "too many straits, not enough grease" means that the greasers were outnumbered.

I'm thinking "kicking machine" could be a motorcycle, but of course we don't totally know.

 
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