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Jailhouse Rock
Commander Cody Lyrics
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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 those knocked out jailbirds sing.
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
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.
The sad sack was a 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 wanna 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.
"Jailhouse Rock" by Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen is a cover of Elvis Presley's classic song. The song narrates a party that takes place in the county jail hosted by the warden. The prisoners' band performs and the whole cell block dances to the beat of the music. The first verse mentions the joyous atmosphere in the prison as the band started to play, and the inmates began to dance happily to the tune of the jailhouse rock. The second verse describes the band members' instruments and their individual talents that make the tune's rhythm so contagious that even the prison guards have joined the party.
The third verse narrates an interaction between two prisoners, with one of them expressing his admiration for the other's looks and inviting them to dance with him. The fourth verse describes a prisoner crying in the corner, and the warden encourages him to join in the party, even if he has no partner, by using a wooden chair to dance. Finally, in the last verse, two prisoners, Shifty Henry and Bugs, plan to escape, but Bugs decides to stay back and have fun. Overall, the lyrics of the song create a lighthearted and joyful image of a party taking place in the most unlikely of places.
Line by Line Meaning
The warden threw a party in the county jail.
The warden hosted a festivity in a detention facility.
The prison band was there and they began to wail.
The group of musicians designated for the prison put on a performance.
The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing.
The music was lively and the atmosphere became festive.
You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing.
The incarcerated individuals sang with such passion that it was an incredible experience.
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock.
Let's dance in celebration.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock.
Every single inmate was dancing to the music of the celebration.
Spider murphy played the tenor saxophone,
Little joe was blowin' on the slide trombone.
Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone and Little Joe was playing on the slide trombone.
The drummer boy from illinois went crash, boom, bang,
The whole rhythm section was the purple gang.
The percussionist from Illinois made loud noise while the entire rhythm section was performing amazingly.
Number forty-seven said to number three:
You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see.
Prisoner forty-seven compliments prisoner three by saying that they are the most attractive inmate they have ever seen.
I sure would be delighted with your company,
Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me.
Prisoner forty-seven invites prisoner three to dance with them in celebration.
The sad sack was a sittin' on a block of stone
Way over in the corner weepin' all alone.
A depressed individual was sitting on a block of stone in the corner crying alone.
The warden said, hey, buddy, don't you be no square.
If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair.
The warden encourages the person who is sitting alone to dance with a wooden chair if they can't find a partner.
Shifty henry said to bugs, for heaven's sake,
No one's lookin', now's our chance to make a break.
Shifty Henry tells Bugs that now is a good opportunity for them to escape while nobody is paying attention.
Bugsy turned to shifty and he said, nix nix,
I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks.
Bugsy rejects Shifty's suggestion by saying that they should stay and have fun for a little while longer.
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock.
Let's dance to the celebratory music, and everyone in the detention center was doing the same.
Contributed by Bailey L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.