Cell Block Tango

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"Cell Block Tango" is a song from the 1975 musical Chicago, with music composed by John Kander and lyrics written by Fred Ebb.

Contents

Description

At the Cook County Jail women's annex, six women explain their presence in the jail, all of whom stand accused of killing their significant others. "He had it coming" is a refrain throughout the number, [1] as each woman thinks her crime was justified. Each murder suspect is identified with a particular word that punctuates the song: "Pop! Six! Squish! Uh-uh! Cicero! Lipschitz!"

On Broadway, the song was originally performed by Chita Rivera, with Candy Brown, Cheryl Clark aka Cheryl A Clark, Graciela Daniele, Michon Peacock and Pamela Sousa. In the 2002 film, this musical number is performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones (as Velma Kelly), Susan Misner (as Liz), Denise Faye (as Annie), Deidre Goodwin (as June), Ekaterina Chtchelkanova (as Katalin Helinszki nicknamed the Hunyak), and Mýa (as Mona).

Covers and external usage

The song has been covered, or otherwise used, in several shows or videos:

Certifications

Certifications for "Cell Block Tango"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [7]
film version, performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones
Silver200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. Christopher Evans. "Shift from hedonism easily seen" (series on cultural changes in the post-AIDS era), Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 16, 1983, page 1C.
  2. Diane Werts. "Splashy! Flashy! Kicky! 'Chicago' proves a treat" (review of the Theatre Three production), The Dallas Morning News, October 18, 1979, page 14C.
  3. Todd Webb. "'Chicago' a farce, a jewel" (review of a Jewel Box production), The Oklahoman, September 1, 1985, Entertainment and Arts section.
  4. Thomas O'Connor. "Bebe Neuwirth brings cheer to `Chicago' " (review of 1992 production by Long Beach Civic Light Opera), The Orange County Register May 10, 1992, page H18.
  5. Bill Morrison. "Secret Gardener: Fridays' child helps nurture Victorian musical on Broadway," The News & Observer, February 2, 1992, page H1.
  6. "Watch Rachel Bloom Parody Chicago's 'Cell Block Tango' on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Playbill".
  7. "British single certifications – Catherine Zeta Jones – Cell Block Tango". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved August 22, 2025.