(leiber/stoller)
On july second, 1953,
I was serving time for armed robbery
’bout four in the morning
I was sleepin’ in my cell
I heard a whistle blow
I heard somebody yell
There’s a riot goin’ on
There’s a riot goin’ on
There’s a riot goin’ on
Up in cell block number nine
The trouble started in cell block no. 4
It spread like fire across the prison floor
I said «come on boys, get ready to run —
Here comes the warden with a tommy gun»
There’s a riot goin’ on
There’s a riot goin’ on
There’s a riot goin’ on
Up in cell block number nine
The warden said
«come out with your hands up in the air
If you don’t stop this riot (or: you gonna start a riot ???)
You’re all gonna get the chair»
Scarface jones said, «it’s too late to quit
And pass the dynamite, ’cause the fuse is lit»
There’s a riot goin’ on
There’s a riot goin’ on
There’s a riot goin’ on
Up in cell block number nine
The ninety-second hour
The tear gas got our men
Crawled in our cells
But every now and then…
There’s a riot goin’ on
There’s a riot goin’ on
There’s a riot goin’ on