Original Cell Block Tango Lyrics (or scroll down)
I think these lyrics are correct. Still, please email me if you notice any corrections. Thanks. mark [at] jeays [dot] net
Supposedly all the critics hate this song, however, I tend to like rap remixes, such as Blestenation's "Cruel Summer", Elwood's "Sundown" or Bus Stop's "Kung Fu Fighting".
A couple of notes, there are two censored words in verse 2. In verse 3, Coast and Lever are brands of soap. "Bid" is slang for a jail sentence. "What the blood clot" is a stock phrase, apparently. I'm still not 100% sure on "In rode the hate suits".
The "Sophia Luciano" line is apparently a reference to the movie Bella Mafia, which is the name of Lil' Kim's new album.
Many thanks to Richard, Tallulah, Jessica, Kathryn, NTIPJR and especially Paulina for emailing me with info on the lyrics!
"Cell Block Tango" Music by John Kander Lyrics by Fred Ebb Performed by Queen Latifah and Lil' Kim featuring Macy Gray [Queen Latifah] Dana Owens a.k.a. Queen Latifah Yes I'm here to testify No, I gotta speak on my behalf You don't even know what happened Can I just tell you what happened? [Macy Gray] He had it comin' He had it comin' He only had himself to blame If you'd've been there If you'd've seen it I think that you would have done the same [Queen Latifah] I mean imagine why was he hittin' his woman Why was she takin' that Now picture her fightin' back Think of the ass kickin' Think of his ass flippin' down the stairs And me at the top smilin' he should have stopped wildin' Now could you picture me tryin' to finish him off See why I pictured me on this side of the law High heels leave holes You'd have thought I was gunnin' Now the cops comin', I ain't runnin' (He had it comin') Girl you should have had seen it Shoulda bobbed and weaved it, 'Fore the cops came got a couple of a clean hits In rode the hate suits Couldn't take the a-buse But I couldn't explain that to the state troops But you know girl (oh yeah, you go girl) Plus I look real cute in orange jumpsuits This is a story I'm tellin' and I ain't changin' nothin' I just needed you to know, your honor. [Macy Gray] He had it comin' He had it comin' He only had himself to blame If you'd've been there If you'd've seen it I think that you would have done the same He had it comin' (He had it comin') He only had himself to blame If you'd've been there If you'd've seen it I think that you would have done the same [Lil' Kim] Aiight, aiight, let's get this over with Take the mug shot Hurry up the fingerprintin', what the blood clot Lil' Kim a.k.a. Sophia Luciano Keep your jumpsuit, I'm rockin' Armani Yeah I bust at him once, but that was just a warnin' My lawyer'll be here with bail money in the mornin' I'm not guilty -- just tryin' to protect mine Ain't my fault you ran into my knife twenty times (He had it comin') Just my luck, the bastard ain't die What you would've did if every other day he blacked your eye Broke your nose 'til it started bleedin' Kick you in your ribs, choke you till you stop breathin' (Fuck) that, I'm sick of bobbin' and weavin' He threatenin' to kill me when I threatened to leave him I do a bid, 'cause ain't no way (Nigga) gonna do me like Ike and O.J. [Macy Gray] He had it comin' He only had himself to blame If you'd've been there If you'd've seen it I think that you would have done the same He had it comin' He only had himself to blame If you'd've been there If you'd've seen it I think that you would have done the same [Queen Latifah] This is for the constantly accused, mentally abused How many of you been in my shoes before, or Have you felt you caught the worst case Puttin' up with his tired ass in the first place Why am I flippin'? I just bought them condoms, I ain't used not one but they was two missin' Get a new mission, how to catch a cheater If he only used Coast you shouldn't smell Lever If you know he don't smoke you shouldn't smell reefer If you catch him cheatin' you shouldn't yell either Run up on him quietly, choke him out silently Might sound cruel but you gotta love the irony So explain that, just came back off a trip and I come home to this? Please, he ain't followin' the guidelines So forgive me your honor But he ran into my knife five times [Macy Gray] He had it comin' He only had himself to blame If you'd've been there If you'd've seen it I think that you would have done the same He had it comin' He only had himself to blame If you'd've been there If you'd've seen it I think that you would have done the same He had it comin' He only had himself to blame If you'd've been there If you'd've seen it I think that you would have done the same He had it comin'
Here are the lyrics to track number 4 on the CD. I've modified the lyrics from the original to fit what's on the CD, although it's hard to get everything due to the background vocals.
"Cell Block Tango" Music by John Kander Lyrics by Fred Ebb Performed by: Catherine Zeta-Jones (VELMA), Susan Misner (LIZ), Deidre Goodwin (JUNE), Denise Faye (ANNIE), Ekaterina Chtchelkanova (THE HUNYAK), Mya Harrison (MONA), Taye Diggs (BANDLEADER) and the Female Chorus BACKGROUND: [GIRLS] (x 4) Pop, Six, Squish, Uh uh, Cicero, Lipschitz [BANDLEADER (over second repetition)] And now, the six merry murderesses of the Cook County Jail in their rendition of the Cell Block Tango [ALL] 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 [VELMA] I betcha you would have done the same! [GIRLS - BACKGROUND x 2] [LIZ (Spoken)] You know how people have these little habits That get you down. Like Bernie. Bernie liked to chew gum. No, not chew. POP. So I came home this one day And I am really irritated, and looking for a little bit of 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, "Bernie, 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. CHORUS: [GIRLS] 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! [ANNIE (Spoken over CHORUS)] 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. [LIZ, ANNIE, JUNE, MONA over BACKGROUND] 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! [JUNE (Spoken) OVER BACKGROUND] Now, I'm standing in the kitchen carving up the 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! [ALL] If you'd have been there If you'd have seen it I betcha you would have done the same! [THE HUNYAK (Spoken)] Mit kersek, en itt? Azt mondjok, hogy a hires lakem lefogta a ferjemet en meg lecsaptam a fejet. De nem igaz, en artatlan vagyok. Nem tudom mert mondja Uncle Sam hogy en tettem. probaltam a rendorsegen megmayarazni de nem ertettek meg... [ROXIE (Spoken)] Yeah, but did you do it? [HUNYAK] UH UH, not guilty! [VELMA (over CHORUS)] My sister, Veronica and I had this double act, and my husband, Charlie, travelled 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're down at the Hotel Cicero, the three of us, boozin', havin a few laughs and we ran 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 all along I didn't do it But if I'd done it How could you tell me that I was wrong? [VELMA] They had it coming [GIRLS] They had it coming [VELMA] They had it coming [GIRLS] They had it coming [VELMA] They had it coming [GIRLS] They took a flower [VELMA] All along [GIRLS] In its prime [VELMA] I didn't do it [GIRLS] And then they used it [VELMA] But if I'd done it [GIRLS] And they abused it [VELMA] How could you tell me [GIRLS] It was a murder [VELMA] That I was wrong? [GIRLS] But not a crime! [MONA] I loved Alvin Lipschitz more than I can possibly say. He was a real artistic guy...sensitive... a painter. But he was troubled. 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 can say we broke up because or artistic differences. He saw himself as alive and I saw him dead. [ALL] The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum [LIZ, ANNIE, MONA] They had it comin' [VELMA, JUNE, THE HUNYAK] They had it comin' [LIZ, ANNIE, MONA] They had it comin' [VELMA, JUNE, THE HUNYAK] They had it comin' [LIZ, ANNIE, MONA] They had it comin' [VELMA, JUNE, THE HUNYAK] They had it comin' [LIZ, ANNIE, MONA] All along [VELMA, JUNE, THE HUNYAK] All along 'Cause if they used us 'Cause if they used us And they abused us And they abused us [LIZ, ANNIE, MONA] How could you tell us [VELMA, JUNE, THE HUNYAK] How could you tell us That we were wrong? That we were wrong? 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! [LIZ (Spoken)] You pop that gum one more time! [ANNIE (spoken)] Single my ass. [JUNE (Spoken)] Ten times! [THE HUNYAK (Spoken)] Miert csukott Uncle Sam bortonbe. [VELMA (Spoken)] Number seventeen -- the spread-eagle. [MONA (Spoken)] Artistic differences. [LIZ] Pop [ANNIE] Six [JUNE] Squish [THE HUNYAK] Uh uh [VELMA] Cicero [MONA] Lipschitz
Last updated: March 25, 2003