Lyrics: Leiber, Stoller
Music: Leiber, Stoller
Played by Bob Weir in a solo set in 2012.
The warden threw a party in the county jail
The prison band was there and they began to wail
The band was jumping and the joint began to swing
You should have heard those knocked out jailbirds sing
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancing to the jailhouse rock
Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone
Little John is blowing 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 dancing 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 dancing to the jailhouse rock
Sad Sack was a sitting on a block of stone
Way over in the corner weeping 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 dancing to the jailhouse rock
Shifty Henry said to Bugs, for heaven's sake
No one's looking, 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 dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing to the jailhouse rock