Tulane
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
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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
Go ahead on, Tulane, he can't catch up with 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
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, 'cause he may have to testify
That you been sick all day and that's a perfect alibi
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
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
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
Go Tulane
-aca
The song "Tulane" by Joan Jett is a catchy rock tune about two friends, Tulane and Johnny, who run a successful novelty shop that sells some illicit items "back under the counter." However, one day they are caught by an officer, and Johnny trips and falls while trying to escape. Tulane manages to get away and the song follows her as she goes on a mission to get back to the store, hide the contraband, bail Johnny out of jail, and find a good lawyer to help them. The chorus repeatedly encourages Tulane to keep running, as the cop pursuing her is not "man enough" to catch her.
At face value, the song can be interpreted as a fun, rebellious tale of dodging the law and sticking it to the man. However, deeper analysis suggests that there may be more going on. Some have suggested that Tulane and Johnny may be drug dealers, and the illicit items they sell are narcotics. The line "rumple up the room" could imply that they have been doing drugs while waiting for the officer to leave. Additionally, the urgency of Tulane's mission to get everything straightened out suggests that there are consequences at stake beyond just getting caught.
Overall, "Tulane" is a fun, energetic rock song with an interesting story behind it that could be interpreted in various ways. Whether it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of engaging in illegal activities or a rebellious anthem against authority, it remains a popular track among Joan Jett fans and classic rock enthusiasts.
Line by Line Meaning
Tulane and Johnny opened a novelty shop
Tulane and Johnny opened up a store selling unusual and unique things
Back under the counter, was the cream of the crop
The best, the most valuable items were hidden under the counter
Everything was clickin' and the business was good
The business was going really well, everything was perfect
'Til one day, lo and behold, an officer stood
Then one day, there was a police officer standing there
Johnny jumped the counter but he stumbled and fell
Johnny tried to get away but he fell over
But Tulane made it over Johnny as he yelled
Tulane managed to escape and shouted encouragement to Johnny
Go ahead on, Tulane, he can't catch up with you
Keep going, Tulane, he can't catch you
Go Tulane, he ain't man enough for you
He's not capable of keeping up with you, Tulane
Go Tulane, use all the speed you got
Run as fast as you can, use all your energy
Go Tulane, you know you need a lot
You need to run very fast to escape
Go Tulane, he's laggin' behind
He's falling behind, you're getting away
Go 'head on, Tulane go head on
Keep running, Tulane, don't stop
Go by your father's house and tell him business is slow
Visit your dad and tell him that the store isn't making enough money
And see if he will loan us something, soon as he hits the dough
Ask him if he can lend us some money when he has some extra
Put the cat out in the hall and rumple up the room
Take the cat outside and mess up the room to make it seem like a struggle happened
Go by Doctor Keller's, tell him you swallowed some perfume
Visit Doctor Keller and say you accidentally swallowed perfume
Tell him we need him quick, 'cause he may have to testify
Explain that we need him to come quickly, as he may need to speak in court
That you been sick all day and that's a perfect alibi
Say that you've been sick all day to provide a good excuse for your behavior
Go, let Danny drive in case you run into the Man
Have Danny drive for you in case you see an authority figure
Back by the shop and git the stuff and hide it in the van
Get the valuable items from the shop and hide them in the van
Go back by your father's, get the money for the bail
Go back to your dad's place and get money to pay for bail
And bring it down and bail me out this rotten, funky jail
Use the money to bail me out of this terrible jail
We gotta get a lawyer in the click of politics
We need to hire a lawyer who understands politics
Somebody who can win the thing or get the thing fix
Someone who can win the case or find a way to fix it
Go Tulane
Encouragement for Tulane to continue doing what they're doing
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: CHUCK BERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind