Mister jelly roll baker,
Can I please be your slave?
When Gabriel blows his horn,
I'm going to rise from my grave.
Oh yeah, sweet jelly roll;
You bake the best jelly roll in town.
You're the only man that bakes jelly,
And you keep your temper down.

They say: Can I place an order for three weeks ahead?
I'd rather have your jelly than my home-baked bread.
'Cause I'm just crazy about you jelly,
I'm so wild about your jelly roll.
You're the only man that bakes jelly
And you keep it in your soul.

You can take all my women,
You kan sure keep them all:
I got a brand new secret,
That you can't catch on to at all:
I'm a jelly roll baker,
I bake the best jelly roll in town.
I'm the only man that bakes jelly
And I keep my temper down.

I'm the only man that bakes jelly and I keep my temper down;
I'm the only man that bakes jelly and I keep my temper down..

[Live versions have this second verse]

I was locked up for murder in the first degree;
Judge's wife sent down and said: 'Let that boy go free,
He's my jelly roll baker,
Bakes the best jelly roll in town.
He's the only man that bakes jelly
that keeps his temper down.'