Shakedown – English Lyrics

• By: Kid Rock, Robert James

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the rebellious spirit of Kid Rock's "Shakedown," a dynamic blend of rock and rap featuring his son, Robert James. Dive into the song's bold lyrics about living life on your own terms and discover its unique musical style.

[English]

I live my life on the edge

Party like a rock star, pedal to the floor

And it doesn't matter how far

Ain't nobody stopping me, ain't nobody stopping me

Shakedown, takedown, breakdown

It's in the air, can you feel it tonight? Huh

Shakedown, takedown, breakdown

Somebody gon' get it tonight (come on)

I'm the cold cash, money kid making mistakes

The taking, the money, Troubadour whacking the brakes

Slapping snowflakes, straight breaking the frauds

Fuck Superman, I'm a man of God

The never-bitten, hard-hitting, hair-splitting sprinter

The ever-loving sex kitten, colder than winter

The faster than a jet plane, can't you see?

Ain't nobody stopping me

I live my life on the edge

Party like a rock star, pedal to the floor

And it doesn't matter how far

Ain't nobody stopping me, ain't nobody stopping me

Shakedown, takedown, breakdown

It's in the air, can you feel it tonight? Huh

Shakedown, takedown, breakdown

Somebody gon' get it tonight, come on

(Hey)

Party like a rock star

(Hey)

Uh, misled stocks and hearts, said I'm breaking 'em

Bloodshed marks the spot where I'm laying 'em

Slaying you suckers like a dragon (dragon)

Kicking y'alls ass right off the bandwagon

I ain't bragging, it's a well-known fact

I back-slap the wack and dollar bills I stack

Don't take no flack from you wannabes

Ain't nobody stopping me

I live my life on the edge

Party like a rock star, pedal to the floor

And it doesn't matter how far

Ain't nobody stopping me, ain't nobody stopping me

Shakedown, takedown, breakdown

It's in the air, can you feel it tonight? Huh

Shakedown, takedown, breakdown

Somebody gon' get it tonight, come on

(Hey)

Party like a rock star

(Hey)

Ain't nobody stopping me

Shakedown (hey)

Shakedown (hey)

Shakedown (hey)

Ain't nobody stopping me

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
edge /ɛdʒ/ B1	noun - the border or margin of something
party /ˈpɑːrti/ A2	noun - a social gathering for celebration or entertainment
rock /rɒk/ A2	noun - a hard natural mineral material
star /stɑːr/ A2	noun - a luminous celestial body visible at night
shakedown /ˈʃeɪkdaʊn/ C1	noun - a scheme for extorting money by threats or intimidation verb - to extort money from someone
takedown /ˈteɪkdaʊn/ C1	noun - the act of bringing someone or something down verb - to bring down or defeat
breakdown /ˈbreɪkdaʊn/ B2	noun - a failure or collapse of a system or machine
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - having a low temperature; not warm
cash /kæʃ/ B1	noun - money in the form of coins and banknotes
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a medium of exchange in the form of coins, banknotes, or electronic records
kid /kɪd/ A2	noun - a child; a young person
mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ B1	noun - an error or fault resulting from incorrect judgment
breaking /ˈbreɪkɪŋ/ B1	verb - to cause something to separate into pieces; to smash
fraud /frɔːd/ C1	noun - wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain
God /ɡɒd/ A1	noun - a supreme being worshiped as creator and ruler of the universe
sprinter /ˈsprɪntər/ B2	noun - an athlete who competes in short-distance running events
jet /dʒɛt/ B1	noun - a fast aircraft powered by jet engines
plane /pleɪn/ A2	noun - a powered flying vehicle with fixed wings
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of an individual human being or animal
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise

Key Grammar Structures

• I live my life on the edge

  ➔ Present Simple

  ➔ The verb "live" is in the present simple, used for a habitual or general truth.

• Party like a rock star, pedal to the floor

  ➔ Imperative (bare infinitive)

  ➔ The verb "Party" is a command; the bare infinitive form creates an imperative mood.

• It doesn't matter how far

  ➔ Negative contraction with third‑person singular present simple

  ➔ The contracted form "doesn't" combines "does not"; it is used with the third‑person singular subject "it".

• Ain't nobody stopping me

  ➔ Colloquial double negative with "ain't" + present participle

  ➔ The informal "ain't" creates a double negative with "nobody"; "stopping" is a present participle forming a continuous sense.

• I'm the cold cash, money kid making mistakes

  ➔ Present simple with present participle phrase ("making mistakes")

  ➔ "I'm" is a contraction of "I am" in the present simple; "making mistakes" is a present participle phrase that adds detail.

• I back‑slap the wack and dollar bills I stack

  ➔ Present simple with relative clause omitted ("I stack")

  ➔ "I stack" functions as a reduced relative clause describing "dollar bills"; the whole sentence stays in the present simple.

• Don't take no flack from you wannabes

  ➔ Imperative with double negative

  ➔ "Don't" is the negative imperative of "do not"; "no" adds a second negative, a colloquial emphasis.

• Can't you see?

  ➔ Modal verb in question form (negative inversion)

  ➔ "Can't" is the contracted form of "cannot"; the subject "you" follows the modal, forming a yes‑no question.

• Somebody gon' get it tonight

  ➔ Colloquial future with "gon'" (going to)

  ➔ "gon'" is a slang contraction of "going to"; it expresses a future intention or prediction.