Riot In Cell Block #9 Lyrics - Wanda Jackson

On July the second 

Nineteen and fifty-three 

I was serving time in Tahatchopee 

Four o'clock in the morning 

I was sleepin' in my cell 

I heard a whistle blow 

And I heard somebody yell 

"There's a riot goin' on" 

(There's a riot goin' on) 

"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 all started up in cell block number four 

It spread like fire across the prison floor 

Warden came in with a big tommy gun 

Bang bang bang, tryin' to stop our fun 

But there's a riot goin' on 

(There's a riot goin' on) 

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 

You don't stop this riot 

You're all gonna get the chair" 

Two gun Mathilda said 

"It's too late to quit 

Pass the dynamite, Molly 

'Cause, man, this fuse is lit" 

And there's a riot goin' on 

(There's a riot goin' on) 

There's a riot goin' on 

(There's a riot goin' on) 

There's a riot goin' on 

Up in cell block number nine 

They called the state militia 

To help them win the fight 

Drove up to the prison 

In the middle of the night 

Each and every trooper 

He looked so tall and fine 

All the chicks went crazy 

Up in cell block number nine 

But there's a riot goin' on 

(There's a riot goin' on) 

There's a riot goin' on 

(There's a riot goin' on) 

There's a riot goin' on 

Up in cell block number nine