On July second, 1953
I was serving time for armed robbery
'Bout four in the morning
I was sleepin' in my cell
I heard a whistle blow
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 number nine

The trouble started in cell block number four
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 number nine

The warden said
"Come out with your hands up in the air
If you don't stop this riot (or: You gonna start a riot ???)
You're all gonna get the chair"
Scarface Jones said, "It's too late to quit
And 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 number nine

The ninety-second 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 number nine