Jailhouse Rock

"**Jailhouse Rock**" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley. RCA Victor released the song as a 45 rpm single on September 24th 1957; it was the first single from the soundtrack EP from Presley's motion picture of the same name.

The Residents have recorded several different versions of the song.

## History

> ***"'Jailhouse Rock' really is about homosexuality."***
> Hardy Fox, 1992
>
>

The track was first recorded by The Residents in 1982 during the *Assorted Secrets* sessions but was ultimately left off the album. This version of the track appeared on the 1983 album *Residue of The Residents*, it features high pitched vocals.

From 1985 to 1987 the track was performed as part of the 13th Anniversary Show and was re-recorded in the studio in 1986 for the Man's World Single, featuring Snakefinger on both versions. These versions, and all further versions, would feature a deep gravely vocal.

The track was revived in 2004 when The Residents recorded it a third time, this time in a techno-influenced style, for their King & Eye RMX album.

## Lyrics

### Elvis Presley version (1957)

```
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 shoulda 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 Joey 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 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
Rock, rock, rock

```

```
Sad Sack was 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
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

```

## List of releases

* Residue Of The Residents (1983)
* Ralph Before '84 (1984)
* The Eyeball Show (Live In Japan) (1986)
	+ 1985 Live Version
* Live In The USA! 13th Anniversary Tour - With Snakefinger (1986)
	+ 1986 Live Version
* This Is A Mans Mans Mans World (1986)
	+ 1986 Studio Version
* 13th Anniversary Show - Live In Holland - With Snakefinger (1987)
	+ 1986 Live Version
* The Commercial Album Expanded (1988)
* In Memoriam Torso (1994)
* Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses (1997)
	+ 1986 Studio Version
* The King & Eye: RMX (2004)
	+ 2004 Version
* Cover Versions (2009)
	+ 1986 Studio Version
* 13th Anniversary Show - Ritz NY - Jan 16, 1986 (2010)
	+ 1986 Live Version
* 80 Aching Orphans (2017)
	+ 1986 Studio Version

### List of versions

* 1982 Version (3:07)
* 13th Anniversary Versions (3 Minutes)
* 1986 Version (3:08)
* 2004 Version (3:05)

## See also

* Elvis Presley
* *The King & Eye*
* "Hound Dog"
* "Don't"

## External links and references

* "Jailhouse Rock" at Wikipedia
* "Jailhouse Rock" at Genius

1. ↑ Stephen Ronan and St. Jude, "Meet The Residents? Those Cryptic Guys at the Corporation", *Mondo 2000* no. 5, 1992

**Side A**
"The Sleeper" · "Whoopy Snorp" · "Kamakazi Lady" · "Boy in Love" · "Shut Up! Shut Up!" · "Anvil Forest" · "Diskomo"
**Side B**
"**Jailhouse Rock**" · "Ups & Downs" · "Walter Westinghouse" · "Saint Nix" · "Open Up"
***Residue Deux* (1998)**
"Scent of Mint" · "From The Plains To Mexico" · "In San Francisco" · "Dumbo The Clown" · "Is He Really Bringing Roses?" · "Time's Up" · "Daydream Believer" · "Safety Is A Cootie Wootie" · "Daydream in Space"
**Superior Viaduct edition (2014)**
"Loser ≅ Weed" · "Death In Barstow" · "Melon Collie Lassie"
**Related articles**
MOP tapes · *The Tunes of Two Cities* · Residents Classic Series · pREServed · *Leftovers Again?!* · Pour No Graphics · Elvis Presley · Richard Nixon