Chords + Lyrics | Jailhouse Rock (tune down 1/2)
Intro
| N.C Eb | E | E Eb | E | E Eb |
Verse 1
||: E | E Eb :||
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.
| E N.C | N.C |
You should’ve heard those knocked-out jailbirds sing.
Chorus 1
| A (A6) | A (A6) | E (E6) | E (E6) |
Let’s rock. Everybody, let’s rock.
| B (B6) | A (A6) |
Everybody in the whole cell block.
| E (E6) | E Eb |
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.
Verse 2
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.
Chorus 2
Let’s rock. Everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block.
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.
Verse 3
Number 47 said to number 3:
“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”.
Chorus 3
Let’s rock. Everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block.
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock, Rock, Rock.
Solo
| A A6 | A7 A6 | E E6 | E7 E6 |
| B B6 | A A6 | E E6 | E7 Eb |
Verse 4
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”.
Chorus 4
Let’s rock. Everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block.
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.
Verse 5
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”.
Chorus 6
Let’s rock. Everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block.
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.
Outro
||: E (E6) | E (E6) :||
||: Dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock :|| to fade
Jailhouse Rock Chords: Unlock the Classic Progressions
On the original recording of Jailhouse Rock, the band is tuned down to Eb. To play along with Elvis and the gang, use a chromatic tuner to reach the Eb tuning.
Once you’re in tune, you’ll discover that there are two main sections in Jailhouse Rock. Both are deceptively simple, but getting the chord shapes right is key to recreating the original sound.
Verse
The chords slide into the I chord like this:
||: E | E Eb :||
You’ll need the TAB to get the slide just right, so here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Jailhouse Rock – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Chorus
For the chorus, focus on playing 8th notes while the bass plays 1/4 notes. To achieve this, use the open A and E strings—this is why tuning down a half-step to Eb is necessary. Without that, it won’t sound quite right.
If you don’t want to tune your guitar down or lack a second guitar, consider using a Digitech Drop pedal or simply play in the key of E without tuning down.
The chorus progression starts on the IV chord and follows a basic 8-bar blues format, like this:
| A (IV) A6 | A A6 | E (I) E6 | E (I) E6 |
| B (V) B6 | A (IV) A6 | E (I) E6 | E Eb |
To play in the same key as the Blues Brothers and many cover bands, tune back to standard tuning and transpose the chords to the key of D.
Here’s a chord chart in the key of E.
Jailhouse Rock Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Jailhouse Rock chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Jailhouse Rock chord chart iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Jailhouse Rock TAB | Course Preview
In the course, there’s TAB for all sections of Jailhouse Rock. Below is a preview of the verse—it’s played using a C shape. To appreciate why this matters, try playing it using other shapes as well.
The Joke Song That Became a Classic
When Elvis released Jailhouse Rock in 1957, he was already a worldwide superstar with 8 previous #1 hits.
Written by Lieber & Stoller for the movie of the same name, this track was the obvious lead single from the soundtrack EP.
Interestingly, the writers initially intended Jailhouse Rock to be a tongue-in-cheek joke song, with gay undertones. The third verse goes:
Number 47 said to number 3:
“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.”
However, Elvis performed it straight, and nobody seemed to get the joke—if anyone ever did!
Since its release, Jailhouse Rock has become a staple for any working Rock ‘N’ Roll band.
If you’re looking to play the guitar in this style, make sure you get the chord shapes right. The opening sliding chord must be a C shape—nothing else will sound right!
Jailhouse Rock Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Jailhouse Rock (Elvis Presley) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
