Shake Tramp

Last updated
"Shake Tramp"
Single by Marianas Trench
from the album Fix Me
ReleasedSeptember 2007
Genre Punk rock [1]
Length3:35
Label 604
Songwriter(s) Josh Ramsay
Producer(s) Dave Genn
Marianas Trench singles chronology
"Decided to Break It"
(2006)
"Shake Tramp"
(2007)
"Cross My Heart"
(2008)
Music video
"Shake Tramp" on YouTube

"Shake Tramp" is a song by Canadian pop punk group Marianas Trench. It was released in September 2007, as the third single from their debut studio album Fix Me . [2] The song reached number 65 on the Canadian Hot 100 [3] and the #1 spot on the MuchMusic Countdown of Friday, August 10, 2007. [2] The song was also featured on an episode of Video on Trial. [4]

Contents

Composition

The song was written by lead singer Josh Ramsay and was produced by Dave Genn. [5] The song runs at 162 BPM and is in the key of B major. [6] The song is described as their "breakthrough single" however, some criticized the lyric, "they slap you like a bitch and you take it like a whore," as uncomfortable. [7]

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations for "Shake Tramp"
YearOrganizationAwardResultRef(s)
2007 SOCAN Awards No. 1 SongWon [8]
2008 Juno Awards Video of the Year Nominated [9]

Music video

The music video for "Shake Tramp" was released in 2007, and was directed by Kyle Davison. [10] It begins with a montage of all the members of the band singing the beginning harmonies. The camera focus is then directed to lead singer Josh Ramsay walking down a street (filmed in Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby, B.C.) set in the early 20th century. He interacts and socializes with the people, all of whom appear to love him. This section ends with Ramsay accidentally getting hit in the face by a man (Biji) carrying a ladder. He collapses and blacks out. When he wakes up Ramsay is on the same street, but in current time. He is still dancing and trying to interact with the same people, however this time they treat him harshly. A woman he danced with in the last segment, sprays him in the eyes with pepper spray. As he walks around the town, more people begin to insult him until he finally arrives in an outdoor mosh. The rest of the band (Matt, Mike and Ian) are playing here, and as he joins them for the last chorus. Their music is received well and the townspeople are dancing along. It appears to go back to the time period used in the beginning of the video, with the exception of the members of the band who are dressed in modern apparel.

The video was shot in one day, where the group spent 20 hours filiming it. [11] There are many choreographed dance sequences performed by Ramsay throughout the video which he stated he had to take 2 months of dance instruction to prepare for. The music video was nominated at the 2008 Juno Awards for "Video of the Year". [9]

Charts

Chart performance for "Shake Tramp"
Chart (2007)Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [3] 65
Canada CHR/Top 40 ( Billboard ) [12] 25

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Shake Tramp"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [13] Platinum80,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. Natalie Roberto (August 4, 2018). "Our Top 10 Marianas Trench Songs". All Punked Up. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Jenna Melanson (May 30, 2013). "Throwback Thursday – Shake Tramp by Marianas Trench". Canadian Beats. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Marianas Trench Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  4. "Marianas Trench - Shake Tramp (Video On Trial)". YouTube . Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  5. Fix Me (booklet). 604 Records. 2006. 2539600182.
  6. "Key and BPM of Shake Tramp by Marianas Trench". Musicstax.com. October 3, 2006. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  7. Ryan McNutt (September 15, 2014). "Ironic pop can still make for great music". On the Aside. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  8. Nigel Hanks (October 15, 2012). "Trench to heat up Kamloops". Kamloops This Week. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Grace Stanisci (June 11, 2012). "MuchMusic Video Awards 2012: Marianas Trench, a nominee leader's profile". Yahoo! . Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  10. "Marianas Trench - Shake Tramp". MuchMusic . Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  11. "Marianas Trench: Taking A Hit To Achieve One". Chart Attack . September 5, 2007. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  12. "Marianas Trench Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard . Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  13. "Canadian single certifications – Marianas Trench – Shaketramp". Music Canada . Retrieved March 23, 2023.