Talk about an interesting mix today. We have Tom Waits covering The Ramones with The Return of Jackie and Judy. Johnny Ramone personally choose Tom Waits to do it for their We’re A Happy Family tribute album (2003). There is so much raw energy here. Waits keeps the Ramones’ skeletal structure in the original but dirties it up some and turns it into a bar-punk rocker. Also Waits seems to conjure up this tinny, oxidised sound — like something straight out of a wrecking yard – it’s that dirty.
The Return of Jackie and Judy reminds me so much of another Waits song I featured here back in June 2023 – Lowdown, from the same album in fact. Both share a similar gritty, raw energy and that rough-and-ready rhythm Waits does so well. He even sings them with the same coarse, growling vocals and punctuates each with a recurring “Oh yeah!” throughout.
Waits later released Jack and Judy on his 2006 album Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards – a three-disc edition in 2006 (image inset). It and Lowdown appear on the first disc which is more ‘blues and rock-based‘. The album was listed as one of the highest-scoring albums of the year in Metacritic and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
The Ramones had previously covered Waits’ with I Don’t Wanna Grow Up in 1995 as the opening track and lead single from their final studio album, ¡Adios Amigos! The song itself was originally written and recorded by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan for Waits’ 1992 album Bone Machine. The Ramones’ version injects the tune with their trademark punk energy while keeping the bittersweet irony of Waits’ lyrics.
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oohhh
Oh, Jackie is a punk
Judy is a runt
They went down to The Mudd Club
And they both got drunk
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, ooh
Well, Jackie is a bookie
And Judy’s taking loans
They both came up to New York
Just to see The Ramones
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah
And, oh, I don’t know why
She wrote that letter
I don’t know why
We can’t forget her, oh, no
Well, Jackie’s playing hooky
Judy’s playing pool
They both got caught for cutting
Now they’re going to summer school
Oh, yeah
Now Jackie’s playing hooky
And Judy’s getting rammed
They both got kicked outside
They ain’t got no time, na, na, na
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah
And, ooh, I don’t know why
She wrote that letter, oh, yeah
I don’t know why
We can’t forget her, oh, no
Well, Jackie is a punk
And Judy is a runt
They went down to The Mudd Club
And they both got drunk
Oh, yeah, whoa yeah
Now Jackie’s playing hooky
Judy’s playing pool
They both got caught for cutting
Now they’re goin’ to summer school
Oh, yeah, whoa yeah
Oh, oh, yeah, whoa yeah
Whoa yeah, whoa yeah, whoa yeah
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, whoa yeah
Na, na, na, na, oh, yeah, oh, yeah, whoa yeah
Na, na, na, na, oh, yeah, oh, yeah, whoa yeah
Na, na, na, na, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, oh, yeah
Ooooh, yeah…
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
“We have Tom Waits covering The Ramones ” Thats something you don’t expect to hear Matt! Johnny picked the right person…his voice goes well with this song….you couldn’t ask for a better voice. I would have never thought of this connection.
Just a great fusion of styles in this one. Waits conjures up this tinny, oxidised sound — like something straight out of a wrecking yard.
Max, if you get the chance, check out both the Ramones’ version of Waits’ “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” and Waits’ original. I’m gonna feature that here soon as a follow up Ramones-Waits venture.
I’m listening now and I love it! It sounds like they could have writtten it…fits them perfectly!
That’s great you checked it out.
Yes, indeed – match made in heaven on these two songs.
It IS a match made in heaven… like I said…it sounds like an original Ramones song!
Matt….can you check out a song when you can? I posted it yesterday but you don’t have to check out the post…just the song. It’s a song…I don’t know if you will love or hate…it’s a band called The Goose Creek Symphony… it’s one of my oddest finds. They mix bluegrass, country, and rock…kinda in The Band’s ballpark…anyway…I just wanted your opinion on it. It’s so different! It’s from 1972
I’m catching up on posts and that was my next one to listen to. I’ll comment over there. Cheers man. Thanks.
Oh dude thanks. That song just has me curious with you.
Wow, what a raw rendition – I love it! For once, Tom Waits’ “voice” is a perfect fit. Don’t get me wrong – I like some of his music but tend to favor his early work when his voice wasn’t quite as rough. But in this case, it’s a perfect fit!
Waits does something very similar on ‘Lowdown’ from the same record. I also like some of his earlier tracks with the smoother voice which you alluded to like ‘Martha’, ‘I Hope I Don’t Fall Apart on You’ and ‘Looking for the Heart on Saturday Night’.
cool post Matt…
Thanks man, it was a lot of fun to write about actually.