Sunday, July 6, 2014

Jerry Lee Lewis' "Jailhouse Rock"

To-day I'm listening to a two-disc set of Jerry Lee Lewis.  It includes his version of Leiber and Stoller's "Jailhouse Rock," which I found something possibly interesting about.  Elvis Presley's version (the original) has the lines as:
Number 47 said to Number 3,
"Well 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."
But Jerry Lee Lewis' version has it as "I sure would be delighted if you'd come with me."  It's not that big of a difference, and it retains the same meaning, but I still think it's interesting to note.  Especially because most of the inadvertent lyric changes I've come across are in British bands' covers of Americans' songs.