(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

Find more similar lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.com/NfQThe 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
Up in cell block number nine