Jailhouse Rock lyrics...a walk on the wild side

click poster to enlarge


I've heard this song off and on much of my life, and never really listened to the lyrics, or picked up the gay allusions. It's probably not a co-ed hoosegow, after all.

How did this even get on the radio, when "Let's Spend the Night Together" by the Rolling Stones always had the "night" bleeped out on the radio when it came out? It's one of my favorite tunes by The King. I never saw the movie Jailhouse Rock, so I don't know how the film approaches the gay issue (what issue?).


(words & music by jerry leiber - mike stoller)

Jailhouse Rock

The warden threw a party in the county jail.
The prison band was there and they began to wail.
The band was jumpin’ and the joint began to swing.
You should’ve heard those knocked out jailbirds sing.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.

Spider murphy played the tenor saxophone,
Little joe was blowin’ on the slide trombone.
The drummer boy from illinois went crash, boom, bang,
The whole rhythm section was the purple gang.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.

Number forty-seven said to number three:
You’re the cutest jailbird I ever did see.
I sure would be delighted with your company,
Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.

The sad sack was a sittin’ on a block of stone
Way over in the corner weepin’ all alone.
The warden said, hey, buddy, don’t you be no square.
If you can’t find a partner use a wooden chair.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.


click poster to enlarge

Shifty henry said to bugs, for heaven’s sake,
No one’s lookin’, now’s our chance to make a break.
Bugsy turned to shifty and he said, nix nix,
I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.
---o0o---