(A. Young M. Young B. Johnson)

Freeze said the man cruising the beat

You get your hands up spread your feet

Don't you move an inch I heard him say

Or you'll be doing time until the judgement day

And he said

Don't tell me no lies give me alibis

Cause if you cross my path you'll be doing life

It's a dirty lie

It's a shakedown (and it's a nervous shakedown )

Another shakedown (another nervous shakedown)

Well it's a shakedown ( and it's a nervous shakedown )

We gotta shakedown

Another nervous shakedown



It's lookin' like a set-up



Take a dime said the man you can make one call

You got a one way ticket to the county hall

When then judge looked high and I looked low

When he smiled at me it was a one man show

He said

2 to 5 the jury decides

Double parole if you survive

It's a dirty lie

It's a shakedown (and it's a nervous shakedown )

Another shakedown (another nervous shakedown)

Well it's a shakedown ( and it's a nervous shakedown )

We gotta shakedown

Another nervous shakedown



Lord they're gonna get you this time

And throw away the key



It's a shakedown (and it's a nervous shakedown )

Another shakedown (another nervous shakedown)

You got a shakedown ( and it's a nervous shakedown )

We gotta shakedown



Lord they're gonna get you this time throw away the key



It's a shakedown (and it's a nervous shakedown )

Another shakedown (another nervous shakedown)

You got a shakedown ( and it's a nervous shakedown )

Well it's a shakedown (another nervous shakedown)



Shake it down shake it down (and it's a nervous shakedown )

Well it's a shakedown ( another nervous shake