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This page was made Song of the Month for March 2023.

"Cell Block Tango" is a song in the 1975 dark comedy musical Chicago, as well as all of its adaptations, including its 2002 film adaptation. It is a song sung by the murderesses of the Cook County Jail with each verse explaining why each of them murdered their husbands.

Performers[]

Character Original Broadway 1996 Broadway Revival 1997 West End Revival 2002 Film
Velma Kelly Chita Rivera Bebe Neuwirth Ute Lemper Catherine Zeta-Jones
Liz Cheryl Clark Denise Faye Cat Lawrence Susan Misner
Annie Michon Peacock Mamie Duncan-Gibbs Lisa Stevens Denise Faye
June Candy Brown Mary Ann Lamb Jacqui Boatswain Deidre Goodwin
Katalin "Hunyak" Helinszki Graciela Daniele Nili Bassman Tina Paul Ekaterina Chtchelkanova
Kitty "Go-To-Hell Kitty" Baxter Charlene Ryan Leigh Zimmerman Vanessa Leagh-Hicks Lucy Liu
Mona Lipschitz Pamela Sousa Caitlin Carter Caitlin Carter Mýa

Lyrics[]

Pop
Six
Squish
Uh-uh
Cicero
Lipchitz

[And now the six merry murderesses of the Cook County Jail, in their rendition of the Cell Block Tango]

Pop
Six
Squish
Uh-Uh
Cicero
Lipchitz

Pop, six, squish, uh-uh, Cicero, Lipschitz
Pop, six, squish, uh-uh, Cicero, Lipschitz
Pop, six, squish, uh-uh, Cicero, Lipschitz

He had it coming
He had it coming
He only had himself to blame
If you'd have been there
If you'd have seen it
I betcha you would have done the same!

Pop, six, squish, uh-uh, Cicero, Lipschitz
Pop, six, squish, uh-uh, Cicero, Lipschitz

You know how people have these little habits that get you down
Like Bernie
Bernie you like to chew gum
No, not chew, pop
So I came home this one day
And I'm really irritated
I'm looking for a little bit o' sympathy
And there's Bernie lyin' on the couch, drinkin' a beer and chewin'.
No, not chewin'
Poppin'
So, I said to him, I said "You pop that Gum one more time..."
And he did
So I took the shotgun off the wall
And I fired two warning shots
Into his head

He had it coming
He had it coming
He only had himself to blame
If you'd have been there
If you'd have heard it
I betcha you would have done the same!

I met Ezekiel Young from Salt Lake city about two years ago
And he told me he was single
And we hit it off right away
So, we started living together
He'd go to work, he'd come home
I'd fix him a drink, we'd have dinner
And then I found out,
"Single" he told me
Single, my ass
Not only was he married
Oh, no, he had six wives
One of those Mormons, you know
So that night when he came home from work,
I fixed him his drink as usual
You know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic

He had it coming
He had it coming
He took a flower
In its prime
And then he used it
And he abused it
It was a murder
But not a crime!

Now, I'm standing in the kitchen
Carvin' up a chicken for dinner,
Minding my own business,
In storms my husband Wilbur in a jealous rage.
"You been screwin' the milkman," he says.
He was crazy
And he kept on screamin',
"You been screwin' the milkman."
And then he ran into my knife.
He ran into my knife ten times!

If you'd have been there
If you'd have seen it
I betcha you would have done the same!

Mit keresek, en itt? {What am I doing here?}
Azt mondjok, hogy a hires lakem lefogta a ferjemet {They say that my famous tenant held down my husband and I chopped his head off}
En meg Lecsaptam a fejet. De nem igaz {But it is not true}
En artatlan vagyok. {I am innocent}
Nem tudom {I do not know}
Mert mondja Uncle Sam hogy en tettem. {Why Uncle Sam says I did it}
Probaltam A rendorsegen megmayarazni de nem ertettek meg {I tried to explain at a police station but they didn't understand}.

Yeah, but did you do it?

Uh uh, not guilty!

My sister, Veronica and I had this double act
And my husband, Charlie, traveled round with us.
Now, for the last number in our act,
We did these 20 acrobatic tricks in a row
One, two, three, four, five, splits, spread eagles,
Back flips, flip flops,
One right after the other.
So this one night before the show we are down at the Hotel Cicero,
The three of us, boozin'
Havin' a few laughs
And we run out of ice
So I go out to get some
I come back, open the door
And there's Veronica and Charlie
Doing number seventeen:
The spread eagle!
Well, I was in such a state of shock,
I completely blacked out, I can't remember a thing
It wasn't until later,
When I was washing the blood off my hands
I even knew they were dead.

They had it coming
(They had it coming)
They had it coming
(They had it coming)
They had it coming all along
I didn't do it
But if I'd done it
How could you tell me that I was wrong?

They had it coming
(they had it coming)
They had it coming
(they had it coming)
They had it coming all along
(they took a flower in its prime)
I didn't do it
(and then they used it)
But if I'd done it
How could you tell me
That I was wrong?

I loved Al Lipschitz
More than I can possibly say.
He was a real artistic guy...
Sensitive... A painter.
But he was always trying to find himself.
He'd go out every night looking for himself
And on the way
He found Ruth,
Gladys,
Rosemary and Irving
I guess you could say we broke up
Because of artistic differences.
He saw himself as alive
And I saw him dead.

The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum!
The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum!

They had it coming
(They had it coming)
They had it coming
(They had it coming)
They had it coming all along
'Cause if they used us
('Cause if they used us)
And they abused us
(And they abused us)
How could you tell us that we were wrong?

He had it coming
(He had it coming)
He had it coming
(He had it coming)
He only had himself to blame
(He only had himself to blame)
If you'd have been there
(If you'd have been there)
If you'd have seen it
(If you'd have seen it)
I betcha you would have done the same!

(You pop that gum one more time...)
(Single my ass)
(Ten times!)
(Miert csukott Uncle Same bortonbe) ({Why did Uncle Sam put me in jail?})
(Number seventeen: the spread eagle)
(Artistic differences)

Pop
Six
Squish
Uh uh
Cicero
Lipschitz

Other Appearances[]

  • The song was covered on an episode of the television series Glee.
  • The song appeared on the following albums:
    • Chicago (Music from the Motion Picture)
    • Chicago The Musical (New Broadway Cast Recording (1997)
    • Chicago The Musical (New London Cast Recording (1997))
    • Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
    • Chicago (Original Soundtrack)
    • Legends of Broadway: Chita Rivera
    • Chicago
    • Big Hits: The Best of Broadway, Musicals & Show Tunes, Vol. 2
    • Essential songs from the Musicals, Vol. 2
    • THE MUSICAL 1970s VOL. 1 - CHICAGO
  • The song appeared on third season of Glee.

Gallery[]

Images[]

Broadway[]

2002 Film[]

Videos[]

Official[]

Cover[]

           Chicago Logo Songs

Stage
All That JazzFunny HoneyCell Block TangoA Tap DanceAll I Care AboutWe Both Reached for the GunRoxieI Can't Do It AloneI Can't Do It Alone (Reprise)My Own Best FriendAll That Jazz (Reprise)I Know a GirlMe and My BabyWhen Velma Takes the StandRazzle DazzleClassNowadays

Film
All That JazzFunny HoneyCell Block TangoAll I Care AboutWe Both Reached for the GunRoxieI Can't Do It AloneRazzle DazzleA Tap DanceNowadaysI Move OnAll That Jazz (Reprise)Love Is a Crime

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