The term "Sugaree" and the refrain "shake sugaree" have several interpretations:

: Other theories suggest it refers to a North Carolina Native American tribe (the Sugaree) or serves as gambling slang for "shaking dice". Musical Legacy

: The verses were largely contributed by the children, each adding words or phrases to the song.

: Some scholars believe the word is a corruption of "shegureh," a West African percussion instrument made of a gourd enclosed in a bead net.