There's an old superstition 'way down south

Ev'ry darkie believes that trouble won't stay

If you shake it away

When they hold a revival way down south

Ev'ry darkie with care and trouble that day

Tries to shake it away



Shaking the blues away, unhappy news away

If you are blue, it's easy to

Shake off your cares and troubles



Telling the blues to go, they may refuse to go

But as a rule, they'll go if you'll

Shake them away



Do like the darkies do, list'ning to a preacher way down south

They shake their bodies so, to and fro

With every shake, a lucky break



Proving that there's a way to chase your cares away

If you would lose your weary blues

Shake them away



I gotta blues, you gotta blues

All God's chillun gotta blues

Come and join a rebel and we'll shake off the devil

And we'll shake all over God's Heaven, Heaven, Heaven

Anyone objectin' to shakin' ain't going there, Heaven, Heaven

Gonna shake all over God's Heaven

I gotta shake, you gotta shake

All God's chillun gotta shake, shake, shake

Nothing could be sweeter than to shake with Saint Peter

When we shake all over God's Heaven, Heaven, Heaven

Anyone objectin' to shakin' ain't going there, Heaven, Heaven

Gonna shake all over God's Heaven





[Revised version:]

There's an old superstition 'way down south

Ev'rybody believes that trouble won't stay

If you shake it away

When they hold a revival way down south

Ev'rybody with care and trouble that day

Tries to shake it away



Shaking the blues away, unhappy news away

If you are blue, it's easy to

Shake off your cares and troubles



Telling the blues to go, they may refuse to go

But as a rule, they'll go if you'll

Shake them away



Do like the voodoos do, list'ning to a voodoo melody

They shake their bodies so, to and fro

With every shake, a lucky break



Proving that there's a way to chase your cares away

If you would lose your weary blues

Shake 'em away