phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Shake ya money-maker

Posted by Lewis on November 20, 2007

In Reply to: Shake my tree posted by Baceseras on November 04, 2007

: : : : Does anyone know exactly what "shake my tree" means?

: : : If you don't want my peaches, don't shake my tree. That's the expression that I've heard. My understand of that phrase is -- if you don't want my opinion (or whatever) don't bother me.

: : Steve Miller Band, anybody:

: : The Joker

: : Verse

: : Some people call me the space cowboy, yeah
: : Some call me the gangster of love
: : Some people call me maurice
: : Cause I speak of the pomputis of love
: : People talk about me baby,say i'm doing you wrong,doing you wrong
: : Well don't you worry baby,don't worry cause
: : Cause i'm right here,right here,right here,right,right home

: : Chorus

: : cause i'm a picker,I'm a grinner
: : I'm a lover, i'm a sinner
: : I play my music in the sun

: : I'm a joker,i'm a smoker,i'm a midnight toker
: : I get my lovin' on the run

: : (post chorus)
: : oooooooo,ooooooo
: : Verse 2

: : You're the cutest thing that I ever did see
: : I really like your peaches, I wanna shake your tree
: : lovey dovey,lovey dovey,lovey dovey all the time
: : oooooo baby I sure show you a good time

: : Chorus

: : Cause i'm a picker,i'm a grinner
: : I'm a lover,i'm a sinner
: : I play my music in the sun

: : I'm a joker,i'm a smoker,I'm a midnight toker
: : I sure don't want to hurt no one

: : (this is sung right after the solo)
: : ooooooohhhhh,ooooooohhhh

: : Verse 3

: : People keep talking 'bout me baby
: : Say i'm doing you wrong
: : Well don't you worry,don't worry,no don't worry
: : Cause i'm right here at home
: : You're the cutest thing I ever did see
: : I really love your peaches,wanna shake your tree
: : lovey dovey,lovey dovey,lovey dovey all the time

: I can recall a Bessie Smith recording of the 'peaches' verse, presumably from the 1920s.

: Elmore James - from his "Rollin' and Tumblin'" -
: Yes love me baby, or please let me be
: If you don't like my peaches please don't shake my tree
: - recorded in 1959.

: Lonnie Johnson - from his "St. Louis Blues" -
: If you don't like my peaches, baby, don't you shake my tree.
: You just stay outa my bus'ness, let my peaches be.
: - recorded in 1960.

: According to a current 'wiki' article, a verse in this form -
: Don't like my peaches, don't shake my tree
: Stay out of my orchard, let my peaches be
: - is one of several often added to or substituted for the original verses of "Sitting on Top of the World".
: The article makes this claim about the earliest appearance:
: "The 'peaches' verse has a long history in popular music. It appears as the chorus of an unpublished song composed by Irving Berlin in May 1914: 'If you don't want my peaches / You'd better stop shaking my tree'."

: en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Sitting_on_Top_of_the_World

I'm a bit of a blues buff and references to peaches were widespread - the later songs mentioned were re-recordings or recordings of older songs - blues was an oral tradition in which people 'borrowed' snatches of each other's songs and 'peach' was a well-worn complimentary metaphor for either a woman's bosom or bottom, more often the latter.
I wouldn't be surprised if using peach goes back to the Song of Songs in the Old Testament - certainly the lover compared the object of his desire with many natural features and fruit appears quite often.


I'm not sure if that was the source of "walking on the beaches, looking at the peaches"...

L

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