Shakedown Street

by Grateful Dead
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Lyrics

You (G)tell me this town ain’t got no (C)heart.

day,

(Dm)Well, (C)well, (Dm)well,

you can (C)nev er (Dm)tell.

The (G)sun ny side of the street is (C)dark.

(Dm)Well, (C)well, (Dm)well, you can (C)nev er (Dm)tell.

May be that’s ’cause it’s (Fmaj7)mid night

and the (Em7)dark led of the moon be sides.

Don’t (Fmaj7)May be the dark is from your eyes.

(Don’t (May be the dark is from your eyes.) Don’t (Em7)May be the dark is from your eyes.

(Don’t (Ebm7)(May be the dark is from your eyes.) Don’t (Dm7)May be the dark is from your eyes.

(Don’t (May be the dark is from your eyes.) You (G)know you got such dark eyes.

loud.

(C7sus)Noth in’ shak in’ on Shake down Street.

(C7sus)Used to be the (C7)heart of town.

Don’t (C7sus)tell me this (C7)town ain’t got no heart.

You (C7sus)just got to (C7)poke a round.

You (G)think me you seen this town clear (C)through.

day,

(Dm)Well, (C)well, (Dm)well,

you can (C)nev er (Dm)tell.

I (G)Noth in’ here that could in t’rest (C)you.

(Dm)Well, (C)well, (Dm)well,

you can (C)nev er (Dm)tell.

It’s not be cause you (Fmaj7)missed out

on the (Em7)thing led that we had to start.

Don’t (Fmaj7)May be you had too much too fast.

(Don’t (May be you had too much too fast.) Don’t (Em7)May be you had too much too fast.

(Don’t (Ebm7)(May be you had too much too fast.) Don’t (Dm7)May be you had too much too fast.

(Don’t (May be you had too much too fast.) And (G)just o ver played your part.

loud.

(C7sus)Noth in’ shak in’ on Shake down Street.

(C7sus)Used to be the (C7)heart of town.

Don’t (C7sus)tell me this (C7)town ain’t got no heart.

You (C7sus)just got to (C7)poke a round.

You

Shakedown Street — Visual Piano Sheet Music

3 people have learned this song

"Shakedown Street" in visual bar notation — see every note as a colored bar on the staff. Easier to read than traditional sheet music. Scrolls automatically as you play. Key of C, 100 BPM.

Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.

Try other practice modes:

Falling NotesBeginnerLead SheetSimple Sheet

About “Shakedown Street”

What key is "Shakedown Street" by Grateful Dead played in?
Shakedown Street is arranged in the key of C on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "Shakedown Street"?
The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Shakedown Street" easy to play on piano?
Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
Can I download sheet music for "Shakedown Street"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Shakedown Street"?
"Shakedown Street" was originally performed by Grateful Dead. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Shakedown Street"?
This arrangement uses 10 chords: C, C7, C9, Dm, Dm7, Ebm7, Em7, F, +2 more.
What other songs by Grateful Dead can I play here?
Try "UNCLE JOHN'S BAND", "THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED", "SUGAR MAGNOLIA". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.

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