Lymon was credited with their first big hit, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, though in the early '90s, a federal judge ruled after a lengthy trial that Lymon hadn't written "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" -- another member of the Teenagers had. Nevertheless, his wise-beyond-his-years vocal and performing abilities not only made the Teenagers a group several notches above the competition but made Lymon the first black teenage pop star. Though only together for a brief 18-month period, Lymon & the Teenagers exerted an enormous influence, spawning several "kid" vocal groups and providing initial inspiration to Berry Gordy to model his entire Motown production approach around Lymon's original vocal style. Inexplicably, the group split into two fractions at the height of their success, and neither had a hit again. Lymon died from a drug overdose at age 25. Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Len Barry, and his principal protégé, Michael Jackson (whose early recordings with the Jackson 5 are virtual re-creations of the early Lymon sound, merely updated) all show the influence of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' groundbreaking work.
Jailhouse Rock
Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers 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 those knocked out jailbirds sing.
Lets rock, everybody, lets rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock.
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.
Lets rock, everybody, lets 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.
Lets rock, everybody, lets 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.
Lets rock, everybody, lets rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock.
Shifty Henry said to bugs, for heavens sake,
No ones 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.
Lets rock, everybody, lets rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock.
Frankie Lymon's "Jailhouse Rock" is a classic rock and roll song that tells the story of a party inside a county jail. The warden has thrown a party in the jailhouse with the prison band. The band starts playing and the entire cell block starts to dance along. The lyrics describe the instruments and the musicians playing them, adding to the excitement and energy of the scene. The song also includes a romantic storyline where one of the inmates tries to woo another to dance with him. The fact that the song was written in a time when rock and roll was still relatively new, and it describes a party in a jail, adds to the rebellious nature of the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
The warden threw a party in the county jail.
The warden organized a party within the jail premises for the prisoners
The prison band was there and they began to wail.
The band consisting of the prisoners played their instruments with excitement
The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing.
The band's music entertained everyone, and the atmosphere in the jail improved
You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing.
Everyone in the jail was singing and dancing with enthusiasm
Lets rock, everybody, lets rock.
The song encourages everyone to dance
Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock.
All the prisoners in the cellblock danced to the music
Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone, Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone.
Spider Murphy played the saxophone, and Little Joe played the trombone
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang, The whole rhythm section was the purple gang.
The drummer made loud music, and the entire rhythm section was brilliant
Number forty-seven said to number three: You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see.
One prisoner compliments another, calling them the cutest jailbird they have seen
I sure would be delighted with your company, Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me.
The first prisoner wants to dance with the second prisoner and invites them to accompany him
The sad sack was a sittin' on a block of stone Way over in the corner weepin' all alone.
One prisoner was sitting by himself, feeling sad
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 sad prisoner not to feel alone and suggests dancing with a wooden chair
Shifty Henry said to bugs, for heavens sake, No ones lookin', now's our chance to make a break.
One prisoner suggests breaking out of jail when no one is looking
Bugsy turned to shifty and he said, nix nix, I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks.
The other prisoner declines and wants to stay in jail to enjoy the fun
Lets rock, everybody, lets rock. Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock.
The song is repeated, echoing the joy and excitement of everyone dancing to the music
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Darlene Shankle
But no one can sing it like Frankie
cintilante ASMR
Why compare? This devalues the artists who are singing! Thanks to them, the music didn't die and we have one more option to listen to it! It must have been great to watch this show live :)
Betty Redmond
Darlene Shankle yep
Cathrine Colwell
Do you know that he wrote that song in 1956 when he was 13 years old? Extremely talented young man.
Dwarf Police Department
@SavageHobbit no Frankie and Herman did it together
Tony D
He did not write the song, it was Herman Santiago one of the guys in the band.
Jane Castro
@SSPark 101 nah one of the other members died of cancer and the other of a heart attack
RockyTee Production Studios
He didn't write the song egbon
SSPark 101
John Doe I think because of heroin overdose at the age of 25. I’m pretty sure some of the other members also died of heroin overdose.
Jalen Mcpherson
R.I.P Frankie Lymon your legacy will live on forever 👑🎶🎙