Jailhouse Rock
Blues Brothers - Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
2. Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone
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
3. 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., wverybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock
Instr.
4. 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
5. 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
Schluss Dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock
The song "Jailhouse Rock" is about a party being thrown by the warden at a county jail. The prison band is playing and the inmates are dancing to the music. The song describes the band's instruments and the inmates' reactions to the music, with lines like "The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing" and "You should've heard them knocked out jailbirds sing." The chorus, "Let's rock, everybody, let's rock," encourages everyone to dance along. One character in the song, number forty-seven, expresses interest in another inmate, number three, saying "I sure would be delighted with your company, come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me."
The song also introduces two other characters, Sad sack and Shifty Henry, who have their own storylines. Sad sack is alone and crying until the warden encourages him to dance alone with a wooden chair. Shifty Henry wants to make a break for it but Bugsy convinces him to stay and enjoy the party.
Line by Line Meaning
The warden threw a party in the county jail
The prison warden hosted a celebration within the jail premises.
The prison band was there and they began to wail
A musical ensemble composed of prisoners was present, and they started to play energetic music.
The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing
The music was lively, and the atmosphere became vibrant and upbeat.
You should've heard them knocked out jailbirds sing
The inmates were singing enthusiastically, and their voices were exhilarating.
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock, everybody in the whole cell block
The song is an invitation to everyone in the jail to dance to the music.
Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone
One of the prisoners played the tenor saxophone.
Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone
Another prisoner played the slide trombone.
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang
The Illinois drummer played very energetically, with a lot of conviction and rhythm.
The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang
All the musicians played together in sync, giving the music an awesome, dynamic rhythm.
Number forty-seven said to number three
Two of the inmates were talking to each other.
You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see
The first inmate complimented the second inmate's appearance.
I sure would be delighted with your company
The first inmate invited the second to dance together to the music.
Sad sack was sittin' on a block of stone
One of the prisoners was sitting alone, feeling sad and dejected.
Way over in the corner weepin' all alone.
This prisoner was sitting in a far corner of the jail, crying alone and feeling miserable.
The warden said Hey, buddy, don't you be no square
The prison warden noticed the inmate's sadness and tried to cheer him up with a friendly remark.
If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair
The warden suggested that the inmate could dance with a wooden chair if he couldn't find a partner.
Shifty Henry said to Bugs For Heaven's sake
Two inmates were talking to each other.
No one's lookin', now's our chance to make a break
One inmate suggested to the other to escape while nobody was watching.
Bugsy turned to Shifty and he said Nix nix
The other inmate declined the idea of escaping, saying 'no way'.
I want to stick around a while and get my kicks
The inmate who declined the escape plan decided to stay around and enjoy the music.
Dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock
The phrase is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the joy and fun of dancing even in the midst of confinement.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DocRockBaby
And to think this started as a skit on Saturday Night Live in 1978, and as for the backing band.... every single one of them is an absolute legend
@kariebossa4851
Exactly. Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Blue Lou Marini, Steve Cropper, Alan Rubin. Legends of music.
@DocRockBaby
@Karie Bossa You know your stuff 😎there was some amount of talent in that movie 💚☘👊
@kariebossa4851
@Doc Rock I'm a musician ( trumpet and bagpipes ), and that's one of my favorite movies. It had some legendary people besides musical talent. Twiggy, Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Steven Spielberg, Frank Oz, and don't forget Paul "Pee Wee" Ruebans! The sequel was sub par at best, but the original was and will remain a classic.
@DocRockBaby
@Karie Bossa I'm a musician myself, that movie was released in Ireland Jan 81 I was a 13 year old into AC/DC but when I seen that movie and heard the intro for She caught the Katy for the very first time, that was it, I was hooked on that groove, have you any videos up of you playing?
@kariebossa4851
@Doc Rock of the trumpet playing, probably not as that was in the 80's, and though video probably could be found, I doubt anyone who has it would be posting it. As for the bagpipes, I'm sure there is, but I only played with a law enforcement pipe and drum band ( I'm no where good enough to solo it ). We have been on the news here in my country as we played in Washington DC during Police Week, and when the Irish Prime Minister visited my state, we were playing on our state house's steps while our Governor greeted him.
@bobdobalina838
I've always said, this should be the in-flight movie for every flight into Chicago. You know, get people up to speed with how we roll.
@BHG198
They should do that for ever Stat you visit a famous film in
@acewilliams7917
Everyone will start dancing on the plane.
@carljames1907
@Ace Williams I'm from England and I love this movie