Cellblock No. 9 Lyrics

July 2nd back in 1963, I was serving time for armed robbery,
4 o'clock in the morning, I was sleeping in my cell,
When I heard that whistle blow and heard somebody yell:

There's a riot goin' on, there's a riot goin' on,
There's a riot goin' on, up in cellblock #9

Trouble started out in cellblock #4
And it spread like fire all across the prison floor
Scarface Jones said: "It's too late to quit!
Pass the dynamite, because the fuse is lit !"

There's a riot goin' on, there's a riot goin' on,
There's a riot goin' on, up in cellblock #9

Solo

The warden said: "Come out, with your hands up in the air!
If you don't stop this riot, you all gonna get the chair! "
Scarface Jones said it's too late to run,
Here comes the warden with the Tommy-gun

There's a riot goin' on, there's a riot goin' on,
There's a riot goin' on, up in cellblock #9

After 47 hours the teargas got all men,
We're back in our cells but ev'ry now and then

There's a riot goin' on, there's a riot goin' on,
There's a riot goin' on, up in cellblock #9