Riot In Cell Block No 9 - The Coasters
On July the 2nd 1963
I serving time for armed robbery
At 4 o'clock in the morning
I was sleepin' in my cell
I heard a 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 No 9
The trouble started in cell block No 4
It spread like fire across the prison floor
I said "Come on boys get ready to run
Here comes 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 No 9
The warden said
"Come out with your hands up in the air
If you don't stop the 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 No 9
In the 92nd hour
The tear gas got our men
Crawled 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 No 9