Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Released: May 23, 1988

Songwriter: Chuck Berry

Producer: Ric Browde Thom Panunzio Kenny Laguna Desmond Child

[Verse 1]
Tulane and Johnny opened a novelty shop
Back under the counter, was the cream of the crop
Everything was clickin' and the business was good
'Til one day, lo and behold, an officer stood
Johnny jumped the counter but he stumbled and fell
But Tulane made it over Johnny as he yelled

[Chorus]
Go ahead on, Tulane, he can't catch up with you
Go Tulane, he ain't man enough for you
Go Tulane, use all the speed you got
Go Tulane, you know you need a lot
Go Tulane, he's laggin' behind
Go 'head on, Tulane go head on

[Verse 2]
Go by your father's house and tell him business is slow
And see if he will loan us something, soon as he hits the dough
Put the cat out in the hall and rumple up the room
Go by Doctor Keller's, tell him you swallowed some perfume
Tell him we need him quick, 'cuz he may have to testify
That you been sick all day and that's a perfect alibi

[Chorus]
Go ahead on, Tulane, he can't catch up with you
Go Tulane, he ain't man enough for you
Go Tulane, use all the speed you got
Go Tulane, you know you need a lot
Go Tulane, he's laggin' behind
Go 'head on, Tulane go head on

[Verse 3]
Go, let Danny drive in case you run into the Man
Back by the shop and git the stuff and hide it in the van
Go back by your father's, get the money for the bail
And bring it down and bail me out this rotten, funky jail
We gotta get a lawyer in the click of politics
Somebody who can win the thing or get the thing fix

[Chorus]
Go ahead on, Tulane, he can't catch up with you
Go Tulane, he ain't man enough for you
Go Tulane, use all the speed you got
Go Tulane, you know you need a lot
Go Tulane, he's laggin' behind
Go 'head on, Tulane go head on

[Outro]
Go Tulane

After splitting with The Runaways, and releasing her first solo album, Joan Jett placed an ad in LA Weekly looking for bandmates. Gary Ryan, Eric Ambel, and Danny “Furious” O'Brien joined her, creating the orginial Blackhearts lineup.

After their initial tour though, O'Brien was replaced with Lee Crystal.

Early on, keeping the band afloat was not easy. Joan and producer Kenny Laguna struggled, sometimes selling copies of albums from the trunk of his car. Eventually unable to keep up with the demand for Joan Jett’s album, they signed with Boardwalk Records.

more tracks from the album

Up Your Alley

From the album

Up Your Alley (1988)

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts popular songs

TulaneJoan Jett & The Blackhearts

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Up Your Alley