Jailhouse Rock
View chords used in this chart
A D
prison band was there and they began to wail.
A D
Band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing,
A D
should've heard those kocked out jail birds sing.
G D
Lets Rock ! Everybody lets Rock !
A G
Everybody in the whole cell block,
D G D
was a-dancin' to the Jail-house Rock!
A D
2. Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone,
A D
Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone.
A D
The drummer boy for Illinois went crash, boom, bang !
A D
The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang. + REFRAIN
A D
3. Number forty seven said to Number Three:
A D
You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see.
A D
I sure would be delighted with your company,
A D
come on and do the jailhouse rock with me. + REFRAIN
A D
4. The sad sack was a-sittin' on a block of stone,
A D
way over in the corner weeping all alone.
A D
The warden said: " Hey, buddy, don't you be no square.
A D
If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair !" + REFRAIN
A D
5. Shifty Henry said to Bugs: "For Heaven's sakes,
A D
no one's lookin', now's our chance to make a break!"
A D
Bugsy turned to Shifty and he said, " Nix, nix,
A D
I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks." + REFRAIN
A D G D
+ dancin' to the Jail-house Rock....(rep. and fade)
How to play Jailhouse Rock
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is A. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.