About The Song
On September 24, 1957, RCA Victor released single record #47/20-7035—“Jailhouse Rock”/“Treat Me Nice” by Elvis Presley. Its instant success in record stores and on Billboard’s charts made “Jailhouse Rock” Elvis’ third blockbuster hit of the year. Once and for all, it blasted the predictions of his early critics that the popularity of Presley’s brand of rock ’n’ roll was a fad destined to fade away rapidly. In the words of “Jailhouse Rock” co-writer Jerry Leiber, Elvis had become an “automatic hitmaker.”
When Elvis’ new single hit record store racks, the music industry gave its blessing to “Jailhouse Rock.”
On Billboard’s Top 100 pop chart, “Jailhouse Rock” took a rocket ride to the top. It entered the chart at #15 on October 15, and a week later leaped up to #3. The next week it went to #2, and on November 11, on only its fourth week on the chart, it push the Everly Brothers’s “Wake Up Little Susie” aside and took over the top spot. It stayed at #1 for six weeks, before giving way to “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke on the December 16 chart.
“Jailhouse Rock” remains an iconic recording in the history of rock ’n’ roll music. When Rolling Stone magazine compiled its “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” it placed “Jailhouse Rock” at #67, and on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll,” it’s listed at #204.
Video
Lyric
🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤
The warden threw a party in the county jail
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
Let’s rock Everybody, let’s rock Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock
Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone Little Joe was blowin’ on the slide trombone The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang The whole rhythm section was a purple gang
Let’s rock Everybody, let’s rock Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock
Number 47 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 dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock, Rock, Rock
Sad Sack was 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”
Let’s rock Everybody, let’s rock Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock
Shifty Henry said to Bugs, “For Heaven’s sake No one’s lookin’, now’s the 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 dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock
Dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock, dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock Dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock, dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock Dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock-