G Bb G Bb C
On July second, 1953
                                     G Bb G Bb C
I was serving time for armed robbery
                          G Bb G Bb C
'Bout four in the morning
                          G Bb G Bb C
I was sleepin' in my cell

I heard a whistle blow, I heard somebody yell

[Chorus]
F
There's a riot goin' on
C
There's a riot goin' on
G
There's a riot goin' on
F
Up in cell block number nine

[Verse]
                                              G Bb G Bb C
The trouble started in cell block number four
                                             G Bb G Bb C
It spread like fire across the prison floor
                                         G Bb G Bb C
I said "Come on boys, get ready to run -

Here comes the warden with a tommy gun"

[Chorus]
F
There's a riot goin' on
C
There's a riot goin' on
G
There's a riot goin' on
F
Up in cell block number nine

[Verse]
The warden said
                                        G Bb G Bb C
"Come out with your hands up in the air

If you don't stop this riot
                                 G Bb G Bb C
You're all gonna get the chair"
                                            G Bb G Bb C
Scarface Jones said, "It's too late to quit

And pass the dynamite, 'cause the fuse is lit"

[Chorus]
F
There's a riot goin' on
C
There's a riot goin' on
G
There's a riot goin' on
F
Up in cell block number nine

[Verse]
The ninety-second hour
                         G Bb G Bb C
The tear gas got our men

Crawled in our cells, but every now and then...

[Outro]
F
There's a riot goin' on
C
There's a riot goin' on
G
There's a riot goin' on
F
Up in cell block number nine