I thought I had this one down, but your guyses interpretations are great!\n\nWell they are the Grateful “Dead” after all, and my interpretation of this song is about death. This may seem like a long shot. My mind works sort of backwards than most people, but maybe I’m onto something here.\n\nAhem…\n\nWhen they come to take you down (The Dead coming to take you to join them in death)\nWhen they bring that wagon around (wagon of death)\nWhen they come to call on you (your numbered line ticket to death)\nAnd drag your poor body down (under the soil into death)\n\nJust one thing I ask of you\nThere\'s just one thing for me\nPlease forget you knew my name\nMy darlin\' Sugaree\n\nShake it, shake it Sugaree\nJust don\'t tell them that you know me \nShake it, shake it Sugaree\nJust don\'t tell them that you know me\n\n(My darling Sugaree, just because the dead came to “take YOU down”, doesn’t mean I gotta go too, so “please forget you knew my name”, just leave that detail out when the reaper/dead asks, and don’t tell them “that you know me”. That’d be swell)\n\n(Basically, “shake it Sugaree” means don’t fear the reaper. Just shake it! All elegant and groovy on your way down to hell)\n\nYou thought you was the cool fool\nAnd never could do no wrong \nHad everything sewn up tight (invincible)\nHow come you lay awake all night long? (Cause of your creeping death in your subconscious)\n\nYou know, in spite of all you gained (Worldly possessions/status)\nYou still had to stand out in the pouring rain (you still had to die, and lose everything)\nOne last voice is calling you (death)\nAnd I guess it\'s time you go (to your grave)\n\n(This next verse is definitely the most long shot interpretation)\n\nShake it up now Sugaree (don’t fear the reaper)\nI\'ll meet you at the jubilee (I’ll see you in hell)\nAnd if that jubilee don\'t come \nBaby, I\'ll meet you on the run (??????????)\n\nShake it, shake it Sugaree\nJust don\'t tell them that you know me\nShake it, shake it Sugaree\nJust don\'t tell them that you know\n\n(This song could be some sort of joke by contradictorily saying, “hey baby you don’t need to fear the reaper, just shake it, Sugaree! But hey I’m afraid to die so when you join them, don’t tell them you know me”.)
I thought I had this one down, but your guyses interpretations are great!\n\nWell they are the Grateful “Dead” after all, and my interpretation of this song is about death. This may seem like a long shot. My mind works sort of backwards than most people, but maybe I’m onto something here.\n\nAhem…\n\nWhen they come to take you down (The Dead coming to take you to join them in death)\nWhen they bring that wagon around (wagon of death)\nWhen they come to call on you (your numbered line ticket to death)\nAnd drag your poor body down (under the soil into death)\n\nJust one thing I ask of you\nThere\'s just one thing for me\nPlease forget you knew my name\nMy darlin\' Sugaree\n\nShake it, shake it Sugaree\nJust don\'t tell them that you know me \nShake it, shake it Sugaree\nJust don\'t tell them that you know me\n\n(My darling Sugaree, just because the dead came to “take YOU down”, doesn’t mean I gotta go too, so “please forget you knew my name”, just leave that detail out when the reaper/dead asks, and don’t tell them “that you know me”. That’d be swell)\n\n(Basically, “shake it Sugaree” means don’t fear the reaper. Just shake it! All elegant and groovy on your way down to hell)\n\nYou thought you was the cool fool\nAnd never could do no wrong \nHad everything sewn up tight (invincible)\nHow come you lay awake all night long? (Cause of your creeping death in your subconscious)\n\nYou know, in spite of all you gained (Worldly possessions/status)\nYou still had to stand out in the pouring rain (you still had to die, and lose everything)\nOne last voice is calling you (death)\nAnd I guess it\'s time you go (to your grave)\n\n(This next verse is definitely the most long shot interpretation)\n\nShake it up now Sugaree (don’t fear the reaper)\nI\'ll meet you at the jubilee (I’ll see you in hell)\nAnd if that jubilee don\'t come \nBaby, I\'ll meet you on the run (??????????)\n\nShake it, shake it Sugaree\nJust don\'t tell them that you know me\nShake it, shake it Sugaree\nJust don\'t tell them that you know\n\n(This song could be some sort of joke by contradictorily saying, “hey baby you don’t need to fear the reaper, just shake it, Sugaree! But hey I’m afraid to die so when you join them, don’t tell them you know me”.)