Cell Block Tango Lyrics

[MERCEDES]
And now, the six merry murderesses
Of the Cook County Jail
In their rendition of

[BRITTANY]
Uh uh!

[MERCEDES]
"The Cell Block Tango"

[TINA]
Pop!

[SUGAR]
Six!

[BRITTANY]
Squish!

[SUGAR]
Uh uh!

[SANTANA]
Cicero!
[SUGAR]
Lipschitz!

[TINA]
Pop!

[SUGAR]
Six!

[BRITTANY]
Squish!

[SUGAR]
Uh uh!

[SANTANA]
Cicero!

[SUGAR]
Lipschitz!

[TINA]
Pop!

[SUGAR]
Six!
[BRITTANY]
Squish!

[SUGAR]
Uh uh!

[SANTANA]
Cicero!

[SUGAR]
Lipschitz!

[TINA]
Pop!

[SUGAR]
Six!

[BRITTANY]
Squish!

[SUGAR]
Uh uh!

[SANTANA]
Cicero!
[SUGAR]
Lipschitz!

[SANTANA & TINA with NEW DIRECTIONS 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 seen it

[SANTANA]
I betcha you would have done the same

[TINA]
Pop!

[SUGAR]
Six!

[BRITTANY]
Squish!

[SUGAR]
Uh uh!

[SANTANA]
Cicero!

[SUGAR]
Lipschitz!

[TINA]
Pop!

[SUGAR]
Six!

[BRITTANY]
Squish!

[SUGAR]
Uh uh!

[SANTANA]
Cicero!

[SUGAR]
Lipschitz!

[TINA & (NEW DIRECTIONS GIRLS)]
(He had it coming) You know how people have these little habits (He had it coming)
That get you down? Like Bernie... (He only had himself to blame)
Bernie, he likes to chew gum, (If you'd have been there)
No, not chew, pop! (If you'd have seen it)
So I came home this one day and I'm really irritated (I betcha you would have done the same)
And I'm looking for a lil' bit of sympathy (He had it coming)
And there's Bernie lyin' on the couch (He had it coming)
Drinkin' a beer and chewin' (He only had himself to blame)
No, not chewin', poppin'! (If you'd have been there)
So, I said to him, I said (If you'd have seen it)
"You pop that gum one more time," (I betcha you would have done the same)
Haiz... And he did (He had it coming)
So I took the shotgun off the wall (He had it coming)
And I fired two warning shots (He only had himself to blame)
Into his head

[SANTANA & TINA with NEW DIRECTIONS 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

[SUGAR & (NEW DIRECTIONS GIRLS)]
(He had it coming) I met Ezekiel Young from Salt Lake City (He had it coming)
About two years ago, and he told me he was single (He only had himself to blame)
And we hit it off right away (If you'd have been there)
So, we started living together (If you'd have seen it)
He'd go to work, he'd come home
I'd fix him a drink, and we'd have dinner. (I betcha you would have done the same)
(He had it coming) And then I found out, (He had it coming)
Single, he told me. Single, my butt! (He only had himself to blame)
Not only was he married, oh no, he had six wives (If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it)
One of those Mormons, you know (I betcha you would have done the same)
So that night, when he came home from work (He had it coming)
I fixed him his drink (He had it coming)
As usual (He only had himself to blame)
You know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic

[SANTANA & TINA, (BRITTANY & SUGAR)]
He had it coming (Pop! Six! Squish!), he had it coming (Uh-Uh! Cicero! Lipschitz!)
He took a flower (Pop! Six! Squish!) in its prime (Uh-Uh! Cicero! Lipschitz!)
And then he used it (Pop!) and he abused it (Six!)
It was a murder (Squish! Uh-Uh! Cicero! Lipschitz) but not a crime

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

[BRITTANY & SUGAR, (TINA)]
The dirty bum (Bum, bum, bum, bum)
The dirty bum (Bum, bum, bum, bum)

[SUGAR, (TINA)]
They had it comin' (They had it comin')

[SANTANA, (SUGAR)]
They had it comin' (They had it comin')

[TINA & (SANTANA)]
They had it comin' all along (They had it coming' all along)

[SUGAR & (SANTANA)]
'Cause if they used us ('Cause if they used us)

[TINA & (SUGAR)]
And they abused us (Sugar: And they abused us)

[SANTANA, SUGAR, & TINA with NEW DIRECTIONS GIRLS]
How could they tell us that we were wrong?
Could you tell us that we were wrong?

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About

Genius Annotation

“Cell Block Tango” is originally from Chicago and is featured in Choke, the eighteenth episode of Season Three. It is performed by Brittany (Heather Morris), Mercedes (Amber Riley), Santana (Naya Rivera), Sugar (Vanessa Lengies) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz.

The New Directions put up a performance to show Coach Beiste that the physical abuse he is suffering is not something that should be hidden.

By the end, Coach is visibly disturbed and exits the stage.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

  1. 11.
    Cool
  2. 33.
    Jolene
  3. 39.
    ABC
  4. 45.
    River
  5. 64.
    Bad
  6. 65.
    Scream
  7. 68.
    Ben
  8. 86.
    Stand
  9. 112.
    Cell Block Tango
  10. 116.
    Cry
  11. 124.
    Mean
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