Elvis Presley: “Jailhouse Rock”

A wrongly accused convict who becomes a star when he gets out. The film, which is considered one of the best of his 31 movies, is famous for the scene where Elvis performs this song in an elaborate dance number taking place in prison.

The movie score was the first one that Leiber and Stoller wrote. Stoller recalled to Mojo magazine April 2009: “We flew in to New York from LA, where were living at that time, and we had a hotel suite. We had a piano put in, in case the muse struck us, and Jean Aberbach – he and his brother (Julian) owned Hill & Range Songs and they had to deal with Colonel Parker but created Gladys Music and Elvis Presley Music-handed us a script for a movie. We threw it in the corner with the tourist magazines that you get in hotels. We were having a ball in New York, going to the theatre, going to jazz clubs to hear Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, doing a lot of drinking. On a Saturday morning- we’d been there about a week – Jean knocked on the door and said, in a very Viennese accent, ‘Vell boys, you vill haf my songs for the movie.’ Jerry said, ‘Don’t worry Jean, you’ll have them’ Jean said, ‘I know.’ And he pushed a big chair in front of the door and sat down and said, ‘ I’m going to take a nap and I’m not leaving until you have my songs.’ So we wrote four songs (including this one) in about five hours and then were free to go out.”

(Source songfacts.com)

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 them 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

Sad sack was 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

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 want to 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

Dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock

Dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock

Dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock

Dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock

Dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock