shakedown cruise by jay ferguson

• Download Shazam

Shakedown Cruise

Jay ferguson.

12,535 Shazams

Music Video

Similar Songs

Shazam footer.

• Help for Apple Devices
• Help for Android Devices
• ShazamKit for Developers
• Privacy Policy
• Manage Your Data

Top Songs By Jay Ferguson

Featured in.

Unfairly Forgotten Songs

Remembering the songs radio has forgotten.

Shakedown Cruise by Jay Ferguson

When a vocalist leaves a group, there’s always the hope of big success forthcoming, at least from the vocalist.  (But perhaps not always from the group the vocalist left behind.)  Well, when Jay Ferguson left a group to go solo, he had some modest success with one song, but his second and final top 40 hit has fallen by the wayside.  You likely remember “Thunder Island”…do you remember “Shakedown Cruise”?

A Very Short History of Jay Ferguson

John “Jay” Ferguson got his first taste of chart success as the lead singer of the rock group Spirit in the late 1960s.  Spirit’s biggest charting hit was the top 30 “I Got a Line on You” , but perhaps the group is best known for its track “Taurus” , which, in a case that the US Supreme Court declined to rule on, was found not to have been ripped off by Jimmy Page when he wrote “Stairway to Heaven” .  Some people, however, still think it was.  YMMV.

AllMusic tells the continuing tale of Jay Ferguson:  he and Mark Andes left Spirit in 1971 to form the band Jo Jo Gunne, which, like Spirit, hit the top 40 exactly once.  “Run Run Run” hit the top 30 in 1972, and that was pretty much it for the band’s success.  When they disbanded in 1975, Mr. Ferguson went solo.

Jay Ferguson’s solo career is likely best known for the top ten hit “Thunder Island” , which appeared on his second album , which had the same name.  The follow-up to that album was  Real Life Ain’t This Way , which, among other things, features Mr. Ferguson exemplifying a certain type of 70s look.

The one charting single from Real Life Ain’t This Way was “Shakedown Cruise”.  There are other interpretations of the song online, but Genius includes Mr. Ferguson’s own explanation of where the song came from:

It was sort of my ‘Captain Blood meets S. Clay Wilson’ song. I was always a fan of the old Errol Flynn swashbuckling pirate movies, and S. Clay Wilson – for anyone familiar with R. Crumb comics – he did these  outrageous  comic strips called ‘Captain Pissgum and Pervert Pirates’ – incredible, over the top and pornographic cartoons. So, somewhere in the middle of that comes ‘Shakedown Cruise’. It’s still one of my favorites.

It should be noted that, if one looks at Amazon, “Shakedown Cruise” may be found on some yacht rock compilation.  This song is certified nyacht.*

Chart History

“Shakedown Cruise” debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 the week ending May 5, 1979 ( chart | website ) at a decent starting position of #77.  Seven weeks later, it would spend the first of three weeks at its peak position of #31 ( chart | website ).  In all, the song spent 14 weeks on the charts, or just over three months.

Jay Ferguson After “Shakedown Cruise”

As it turned out, “Shakedown Cruise” would be Jay Ferguson’s final Hot 100 hit.  A label change and two more albums followed after, but neither was successful.  Don’t feel too bad for Mr. Ferguson, though:  in the years since, he has made a name for himself as a soundtrack composer.  IMDB lists all his credits, but the most notable name you’ll find is likely NCIS: Los Angeles ; Mr. Ferguson is listed as composer for 306 out of the 323 episodes that series had.

And if you enjoy listening to his songs on the radio, you can likely find “Thunder Island” playing occasionally.  It would be nice if a station would give “Shakedown Cruise” a spin again.

Buy the MP3 here!

Like these songs? Buy me a coffee!

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

• ABBREVIATIONS
• BIOGRAPHIES
• CALCULATORS
• CONVERSIONS
• DEFINITIONS

Shakedown Cruise

Jay ferguson.

Follow 0 fans

Jay Ferguson (born October 14, 1968) is a member of the Canadian rock band Sloan. He is the only member in Sloan who comes from Halifax, Nova Scotia. more »

Lyrics currently unavailable…

Discuss the shakedown cruise lyrics with the community:.

Report Comment

We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe. If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.

You need to be logged in to favorite .

Create a new account.

Your name: * Required

Your email address: * Required

Pick a user name: * Required

Username: * Required

Password: * Required

Forgot your password?    Retrieve it

Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

Style: MLA Chicago APA

"Shakedown Cruise Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 Apr. 2024. < https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/48337/Jay+Ferguson/Shakedown+Cruise >.

Missing lyrics by Jay Ferguson?

Know any other songs by jay ferguson don't keep it to yourself, image credit, the web's largest resource for, music, songs & lyrics, a member of the stands4 network, watch the song video, top hot 100 songs 1979, billboard #31, more tracks from the album, real life ain't this way.

• #1 Shakedown Cruise
• #5 Turn Yourself In
• #6 Do It Again

Browse Lyrics.com

Our awesome collection of, promoted songs.

Get promoted 

Are you a music master?

Which band sings the song "smile" in the "for ever" album, free, no signup required :, add to chrome, add to firefox, on radio right now.

Powered by OnRad.io

Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!

Music Charts Archive

Search form, shakedown cruise, jay ferguson.

Album: 

Lyrics: .

It was thirty days around the horn The captain says it's a thirty-five more The moon looks mean and the crew ain't staying "There's gonna be some blood" is what they're all saying

It's a shakedown cruise (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) And I was just another fool (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) There ain't no easy way out (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) They're gonna shake you 'til you shout, hey, hey (Shakedown, shakedown cruise)

They treat you like a dog, but you're only human You miss your home, Lord, you miss that woman The captain laughs, he says, "You boys want some sex? You can squeeze the sails, you can lick the decks"

It was a shakedown cruise (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) I guess I just was born to lose (Shakedown, shakin' out the blues) They tell you life is going cheap (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) I got myself in pretty deep (Shakedown, shakedown cruise)

(Starlight lost in the night) (Drift away and it feels all right) And it feels all right (Starlight alone in the night) (Drift away and it feels all right) And it feels all right I guess it feels all right

The fever's hot, the winds are blowin' cold The captain's crazy eye puts the fear in your soul I heard somebody cryin', "Lord, let this end You know I'll never go to sea again"

It was a shakedown cruise (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) And now we're sendin' out the news (Shakedown, shakin' out the blues) There ain't no victory at sea (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) Unless it's mutiny (Shakedown, shakin' in my shoes)

Now if I don't get off alive, it's just as well I'll be waking up in heaven, 'cause I've been through hell On this shakedown cruise They call it a shakedown cruise Aw, shake me down, boy

(Shakedown, shakedown cruise) (Shakedown, shakin' out the blues) It was a shakedown cruise (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) It got me shakin' in my shoes (Shakedown, shakin' in my shoes) And now I'm feelin' kinda blue (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) Whoo! (Shakedown, shakin' out the blues)

Shakedown cruise (Shakedown, shakedown cruise) I said, shake me down, boys (Shakedown, shakin' in my shoes) Whoo! (Shakedown, shakedown cruise)

Artist: 

Peak Position: #31 Number of Weeks on Chart: 14

• Artists add

Shakedown Cruise

• Jay Ferguson

Lyrics submitted by T_D_Phoenix , edited by MCSMeister

• Highest Rated
• Most Recent
• Oldest First

"call me Ishmael"

• No Replies Log in to reply

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

• Artists - J
• Real Life Ain't This Way
• Shakedown Cruise Lyrics
• Artists - S
• Speedy Ortiz

More Featured Meanings

Most popular lyric tags

More jay ferguson lyrics.

• Thunder Island Lyrics
• Thunder Island [LP Version] Lyrics

"Shakedown Cruise" lyrics

• Jay Ferguson Lyrics

Jay Ferguson – Shakedown Cruise lyrics

• Post my meaning
• Write my explanation new To explain lyrics, select line or word and click "Explain".
• Don't understand the meaning of the song?
• Highlight lyrics and request an explanation.
• Click on highlighted lyrics to explain.

Lyrics taken from /lyrics/j/jay_ferguson/shakedown_cruise.html

• Explanations new To explain lyrics, select line or word and click "Explain".
• Share link: Embed:
• Correct Add song structure elements Click "Correct" to open the "Correction form". There you can add structure tags, correct typos or add missing words. Send your correction and get karma points! Result of your work will appear after moderating. OK, got it!
• Midnight Sky Miley Cyrus
• ​Positions Ariana Grande
• Therefore I Am Billie Eilish
• Monster Shawn Mendes
• Christmas Saves The Year twenty one pilots
• Willow Taylor Swift

Shakedown Cruise meanings

Write about your feelings and thoughts about shakedown cruise.

Hey! It's useful.

If this song really means something special to you, describe your feelings and thoughts . Don't hesitate to explain what songwriters and singer wanted to say. Also we collected some tips and tricks for you:

• Don't write just "I love this song." Hidden between the lines, words and thoughts sometimes hold many different not yet explained meanings
• Remember: your meaning might be valuable for someone
• Don't post links to images and links to facts
• Write correctly
• Don't spam and write clearly off-topic meanings
• Don't write abusive, vulgar, offensive, racist, threatening or harassing meanings
• Do not post anything that you do not have the right to post
• Please note: We moderate every meaning

Follow these rules and your meaning will be published

• → Artist: J
• → Jay Ferguson
• → Shakedown Cruise lyrics

Post meanings

Official video.

More Jay Ferguson lyrics

• Thunder Island
• To The Island
• Happy Birthday, Baby
• City Of Angels
• Too Late To Save Your Heart
• Paying Time
• Real Life Ain't That Way
• I'm Down
• I Come Alive

Featured lyrics

• · IF YOU PRAY RIGHT Lyrics BROCKHAMPTON
• · FANCY Lyrics TWICE
• · Single Again Lyrics Big Sean
• · Looking For America Lyrics Lana Del Rey
• · WOW Lyrics Zara Larsson
• · Fear Inoculum Lyrics Tool
• · What If I Never Get Over You Lyrics Lady A
• · ME! Lyrics Taylor Swift
• · I Don't Care Lyrics Ed Sheeran
• · Catfish Kate Lyrics Pixies

Write an explanation

Explanation guidelines:

• Describe what artist is trying to say in a certain line, whether it's personal feelings, strong statement or something else.
• Provide song facts, names, places and other worthy info that may give readers a perfect insight on the song's meaning.
• Add links, pictures and videos to make your explanation more appealing. Provide quotes to support the facts you mention.

Request explanation

• Ask us or our community about the part of the song that interests you
• We will try to respond as soon as possible

Thanks for correcting Jay Ferguson - Shakedown Cruise lyrics!

Stream Top Podcasts

Popular podcasts.

The Bright Side

Start your day with The Bright Side, a new daily podcast from Hello Sunshine. Co-hosted by journalist, TV host, and podcaster, Danielle Robay and Emmy-nominated journalist, host, and producer, Simone Boyce, The Bright Side brings your daily dose of culture and inspiration – with the latest trends, celebrity interviews, and real conversations with women doing amazing things while navigating life’s transitions, big and small. The Bright Side is a talk show created to inspire, educate, and empower women as they tackle life each day and add joy to their morning routines. Join Danielle and Simone and the Hello Sunshine community every weekday for entertainment, culture, wellness, books, and more.

Ways To Win

Winning is an everyday mindset, and the coaches are here to help. Hosts Craig Robinson and John Calipari use their on-court wisdom to solve your off-court problems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.

Featured Podcasts

Serial returns with a history of Guantánamo told by people who lived through key moments in Guantánamo’s evolution, who know things the rest of us don’t about what it’s like to be caught inside an improvised justice system. Serial Productions makes narrative podcasts whose quality and innovation transformed the medium. “Serial” began in 2014 as a spinoff of the public radio show “This American Life.” In 2020, we joined the New York Times Company. Our shows have reached many millions of listeners and have won nearly every major journalism award for audio, including the first-ever Peabody Award given to a podcast. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest Serial Productions news: https://bit.ly/3FIOJj9 Have thoughts or feedback on our shows? Email us at [email protected]

On Tuesday's and Friday’s The Moth’s podcast feed presents episodes of the Peabody-Award Winning Moth Radio Hour and original episodes of The Moth Podcast. Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.

Imagine you were a fly on the wall at a dinner between the mafia, the CIA, and the KGB. That’s where this unprecedented story begins. A journey through the dark world of Russian intelligence where, for the first time, a professed “sex spy” tells her story. All of it. Host Neil Strauss (Rolling Stone, The New York Times) brings listeners into the dangerous world of sexpionage, where enemies of the State are not the only victims. So too are the spies themselves, brainwashed to believe that their bodies belong to Russia and meticulously trained to become “the perfect weapons.” Who is Aliia Roza? From the creators of the hit podcast series To Live and Die in LA, this is To Die For. Binge all 8 episodes now.

iHeart Podcast Networks .css-1q01m3q{margin:0 0 -2px 0;}

© 2024 iHeartMedia, Inc.

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use