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Shake Me Down

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"Shake Me Down"
Single by Cage the Elephant
from the album Thank You, Happy Birthday
ReleasedNovember 22, 2010
Recorded2010
GenreAlternative rock
Length3:32
LabelRelentless (UK)
Jive/RED (US)
SongwritersJared Champion, Lincoln Parish, Brad Shultz, Matt Shultz, Daniel Tichenor
ProducerJay Joyce
Cage the Elephant singles chronology
"Back Against the Wall"
(2009)		 "Shake Me Down"
(2010)		 "Around My Head"
(2011)
Music video
"Shake Me Down" on YouTube

"Shake Me Down" is the first single and fourth track on Cage the Elephant's second album Thank You, Happy Birthday. A music video for the single was released on January 11, 2011.[1] Both the song and the video gained much critical acclaim,[2] and earned a nomination for Best Rock Video at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards[3] Rolling Stone described the song as a "all dreamy Beatlesque psychedelia."[4]

Composition

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The song features Cage the Elephant percussionist Jared Champion playing on a set of toy drums. The guitar riff was borrowed from a song that bassist Daniel Tichenor's father had written and the bass line was inspired by the Shins.[5] The song is Matthew Shultz singing about life's many depressing aspects in the verses, while the chorus is a short burst of optimism.[6] The song features quiet verses broken by loud drum interludes.

Music video

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In the music video, directed by Isaac Rentz, a middle-aged jogger relives vivid memories of his life through a surreal, nostalgic journey.[1] At the end of the video, the man sees his deceased friends and family members, including his wife. The video then shows that the man was dreaming the entire time, and died in his sleep. As his wife cries by his side, the video fades with a blurred view of the man standing next to the shore at a beach. Singer Matthew Shultz is occasionally seen singing in a tent in the man's childhood hideout, while the rest of the band plays through various cut scenes. The music video achieved critical acclaim,[7] and garnered a nomination for Best Rock Video at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.[8]

Reception

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Tikicobra of Sputnikmusic wrote that the song "is significantly less sarcastic" compared to other songs on the album adding it "features a great opening. And the way it picks up, just so that it can slow down abruptly and then pick up again at the end, is fantastic."[9] The Guardian described the song as a "turbulent daydream” whilst Rolling Stone wrote the song is a "all dreamy Beatlesque psychedelia."[10][11]

Chart performance

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The single proved to be their most successful in the UK despite not being their highest charting; it spent 6 weeks in the top 100 at number 99, 87, 78, 58, 55, then a final week at number 67. "In One Ear" and "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" both spent 2 weeks in the top 100.

Weekly charts

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Chart (2011) Peak
position
Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[12]51
Canada Rock (Billboard)[13]1
Scottish Singles Sales (Official Charts)[14]56
UK Singles (Official Charts)[15]55
US Billboard Hot 100[16]78
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[17]1

Year-end charts

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Chart (2011) Position
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[18] 2

Certifications

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Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[19] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. 1 2 "News - Entertainment, Music, Movies, Celebrity". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Track Review: Cage the Elephant – Shake Me Down - MusicDune". Archived from the original on 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  3. ↑ Mason, Kim. "CTE video nominated for MTV Video Music Award's Best Rock Video". Bowling Green Daily News. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  4. ↑ Rosen, Jody (2011-01-11). "Thank You Happy Birthday". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  5. ↑ "Shake Me Down by Cage the Elephant - Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Cage the Elephant - Shake Me Down Lyrics". SongMeanings.com. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "Cage the Elephant – Shake Me Down [REVIEW] – the Deceptive Cadence". Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
  8. ↑ Montgomery, James. "Cage The Elephant's VMA Nod 'A Total Surprise'". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "Cage The Elephant - Thank You Happy Birthday (album review 3) | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  10. ↑ Clarke, Betty (2011-03-17). "Cage the Elephant: Thank You Happy Birthday - review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  11. ↑ Rosen, Jody (2011-01-11). "Thank You Happy Birthday". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  12. ↑ "Cage the Elephant Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Cage the Elephant Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 27/3/2011 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 27/3/2011 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  16. ↑ "Cage the Elephant Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Cage the Elephant Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  19. ↑ "American single certifications – Cage the Elephant – Shake Me Down". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
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