The original group members were Ty Terrell, Billy Richards, Roy Richards, and Bobby Nunn. Carl Gardner and Grady Chapman were added in 1954. In 1956, Garner and Nunn left and formed The Coasters.
Riot In Cell Block No. 9
The Robins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was servin' time for armed robbery
At four o'clock in the mornin', I was sleepin' in my cell
I heard the whistle blow then I heard somebody yell
(There's a riot goin' on)
(There's a riot goin' on)
(There's a riot goin' on)
The trouble started down in cellblock number four
And spread like fire across the prison floor
I said, "okay boys, get ready to run
Here come the warden with a tommy gun"
(There's a riot goin' on)
(There's a riot goin' on)
(There's a riot goin' on)
Up in cellblock number nine
The warden said, "come out with your hands up in the air
If you don't stop this riot, you're all gonna get the chair"
Scarface Jones said, "it's too late to quit
Pass the dynamite 'cause 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 number nine
In the forty-seventh hour the tear gas got our men
We are all back in our cells but every now and then
(There's a riot goin' on)
(There's a riot goin' on)
(There's a riot goin' on)
Up in cellblock number nine
The Robins's song Riot On Cell Block #9 tells the story of a prison riot that happened on July 2nd, 1953. The singer, who is serving time for armed robbery, is woken up by a whistle blowing and someone yelling that there's a riot happening in Cellblock #9. He describes how the riot started in Cellblock #4 and quickly spread throughout the prison. The inmates are warned by the warden to surrender or they will face the electric chair, but one of them, Scarface Jones, decides it's too late to quit and passes out dynamite to the other prisoners.
Line by Line Meaning
On July the second, 1953
This is the exact day and year when the events narrated in the song occurred
I was servin' time for armed robbery
The singer was in jail because he had been convicted of committing a robbery with a weapon
At four o'clock in the mornin', I was sleepin' in my cell
The singer was asleep in his cell at a very early hour of the morning
I heard the whistle blow then I heard somebody yell
There was a loud whistle followed by someone shouting, which woke the artist up
(There's a riot goin' on)
The repeated line implies that a riot is happening in the prison
Up in cellblock number nine
The riot is specifically taking place in cellblock number nine
The trouble started down in cellblock number four
The riot began in cellblock number four and then spread
And spread like fire across the prison floor
The riot grew very quickly and wildly throughout the whole prison
I said, "okay boys, get ready to run
The artist tells his fellow inmates to prepare to flee
Here come the warden with a tommy gun"
The warden arrives with a weapon that can rapidly shoot bullets
The warden said, "come out with your hands up in the air
The warden orders the prisoners to surrender and raise their hands, to stop the riot
If you don't stop this riot, you're all gonna get the chair"
The warden warns that if the riot doesn't end, the inmates will face execution by electric chair
Scarface Jones said, "it's too late to quit
Scarface Jones argues that it is now impossible to stop the riot
Pass the dynamite 'cause the fuse is lit"
Scarface Jones orders for explosives to be passed around because the fuse has already been ignited
In the forty-seventh hour the tear gas got our men
The prison staff eventually used tear gas to subdue the rioters after 47 hours of chaos
We are all back in our cells but every now and then
The inmates have been returned to their cells, but they still feel the tension and potential for another riot to break out
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JERRY LEIBER, MIKE STOLLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robertsparling917
Lyrics:
On July the 2nd 1953,
I was serving time
For armed robbery
At four o'clock in the morning,
I was sleeping in my cell
I heard the whistle blow,
Then I heard somebody yell
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on
Up in cell block number nine!
The trouble started in
Cell block number 4
It spread like fire
Across the prison floor
I said "Okay, boys, get ready to run!
Here come the warden with a Tommy gun!"
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on
Up in cell block number nine!
The warden said "Come out with your hands up in the air!
If you don't stop this riot, YOU'RE ALL GONNA GET THE CHAIR!"
Scarface Jones said "It's too late to quit!
Pass the dynamite, 'cause the FUSE IS LIT!"
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on
Up in cell block number nine!
In the 47th hour,
The tear gas got our men!
We were all back in our cells,
But every now and then
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on
Up in cell block number nine!
@jensenbell
I am so grateful that you posted this. 1. Lieber and Stoller songs must be preserved & presented forever. 2. The Robins were the first to do this, they were the first "Coasters". Because of this post more people can hear that... and how great their recordings are. Thank you! Great!
@trfesok
The Beach Boys covered this acoustically in 1965. After they added it to their setlists in 1971, Mike Love turned it into "Student Demonstration Time". I put all 3 in my "Beach Boys..covering" playlist. Thanks for downloading the down and dirty original!
@lawerencestimpson2280
Yes the Beachboys took a great tune and messed it up.
@robertsparling917
Lyrics:
On July the 2nd 1953,
I was serving time
For armed robbery
At four o'clock in the morning,
I was sleeping in my cell
I heard the whistle blow,
Then I heard somebody yell
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on
Up in cell block number nine!
The trouble started in
Cell block number 4
It spread like fire
Across the prison floor
I said "Okay, boys, get ready to run!
Here come the warden with a Tommy gun!"
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on
Up in cell block number nine!
The warden said "Come out with your hands up in the air!
If you don't stop this riot, YOU'RE ALL GONNA GET THE CHAIR!"
Scarface Jones said "It's too late to quit!
Pass the dynamite, 'cause the FUSE IS LIT!"
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on
Up in cell block number nine!
In the 47th hour,
The tear gas got our men!
We were all back in our cells,
But every now and then
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on!
There's a riot goin' on
Up in cell block number nine!
@HackSteele1
A great group and a great song. Daring in 1954!! so it got limited exposure. I don't want to knock "Jailhouse Rock" but this deserves at least equal iconic status-- plus it was first on the scene.
@hwgray
"it got limited exposure"?!!! Oh. You mean, among white people.
@michaelpatrickfox
Actually, Lieber and Stoller's early 50's records on the Spark label were hits mainly in the Los Angeles area; so yes, they only got limited exposure.
They didn't have any national hits until they moved to New York City in 1957 to work at Atlantic records.
Lieber & Stoller wrote and produced this record, and they were two hip young jewish guys. They also wrote "Jailhouse Rock' and a lot of other classics.
@williamsowders9488
John Woodford they had many early recordings as the Robins, later known as The Coasters
@PCCphoenix
Blues Brothers did it even better! 😉
@b4boomersblockboy722
I remember this song being played on the juke box almost everywhere I went in D.C. back in day as a Juvenile Delinquent ! :-)