The term "Sugaree" and the refrain "shake sugaree" have several interpretations:
: It may refer to the practice of throwing sugar on a floor and dancing on it to create a percussive "shuffling" sound. Shake Sugaree
"" is a classic folk-blues song written and popularized by the legendary Elizabeth Cotten . Origins and Composition The term "Sugaree" and the refrain "shake sugaree"
: Some scholars believe the word is a corruption of "shegureh," a West African percussion instrument made of a gourd enclosed in a bead net. Shake Sugaree
: Cotten composed the guitar part first and played it for her great-grandchildren.