Shortly after that, with Kenny's assistance, Joan formed the backing group "The Blackhearts" with three obscure New York area musicians: Gary Ryan on bass, Eric Ambel (replaced shortly thereafter by Rick Byrd) on guitar and Lee Crystal on drums. After almost a year of touring, Joan's first album with The Blackhearts, entitled I Love Rock'N'Roll came out in December of 1981. The album included a version of "Little Drummer Boy" on the pre-Christmas editions. The album's impact on the music scene was immediate with the LP reaching the Top Five, while the single "I Love Rock'n'Roll" hit the very top of the Billboard's Charts on March 20, 1982 and stayed #1 for 7 weeks. Joan Jett had come back from nowhere.
A string of Top 40 hits followed, as well as sellout tours with The Police, Queen, and Aerosmith, among others. Jett was the second American act of any kind to perform behind the Iron Curtain, the first one being Blood, Sweat & Tears in Romania in 1969. She was among the first English-speaking rock acts to appear in Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Forced label changes in the 80's led to a decline in popularity. Despite the follow-up albums "Album" and "Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth" being praised by her devout fans, neither got the attention or radio play the first two albums received.
After receiving her own MTV New Year's Eve special, Jett beat out a number of contenders to appear in the movie Light of Day with Michael J. Fox. It was about this time that Ryan and Crystal left the Blackhearts. They were soon replaced by the powerful rhythm section of Thommy Price and Kasim Sulton. Later that year, Jett released "Good Music", which featured appearances by The Beach Boys, The Sugarhill Gang and singer Darlene Love. The album only spawned two minor singles which received little airplay. This label decided the band had to either take in outside help or they would lose their contract.
And so they did. Her next release, Up Your Alley, went multi-platinum and was followed by "The Hit List", which was an international hit. Popular songwriter/producer Desmond Child was brought in, resulting in the release of album "Up Your Alley". This album brought the band a resurgence in popularity, with top 10 singles "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and "Little Liar".
This return to the spotlight would be short-lived, however. Follow-up album "The Hit List", an all-cover songs release, spawned only a minor hit with Jett's version of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds".
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts became the first rock band to perform a series of shows at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway, breaking the record at the time for the fastest ticket sell-out ever.
1991 and 1994 had two more releases, "Notorious" and "Pure & Simple". But radio had started looking to grunge by this time, and neither album got the attention they deserved.
In the 1990s, Jett and Laguna released "Flashback", a compilation of her career so far on their own Blackheart Records. Her next release, "Notorious" (which featured The Replacements' Paul Westerberg) was the last with Sony/CBS as Jett switched to Warner Brothers.
In 1994, the Blackhearts released the well received Pure and Simple, which featured tracks written with Kat Bjelland (Babes in Toyland), Donita Sparks (L7) and Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill).
While a slew of hits packages, some with an occasional new or previously unreleased track were released following this, it would be 10 years before a new studio album would appear.
This would be 2004's "Naked", and thus far has been a Japan-only release. The album sees Jett returning to a more raw and experimental sound, closer to that of her first 4 releases than the polished material that began with "Good Music".
Failing to get "Naked" released in other markets, Jett released on a more international level "Sinner" in June 2006, on Blackheart Records, her own label.. This album featured many remixed tracks from "Naked", and a complete rewrite of "Stuck in the Middle" to new version "Riddles". Lead-off single and video was a cover of "A.C.D.C." by Sweet.
To support the album, the band appeared on the 2006 Warped Tour, and embarked on a Fall 2006 tour with Eagles of Death Metal.
After a long break from recording, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts released a 6-song EP of new material, "Mindsets," in June 2023.
Wynnewood
14 Hanky Panky
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
Yeah
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
I saw you walkin' on down the line
You know I saw you
For the very first time
A pretty little thing
Standin' all alone
Hey, pretty baby
Can I take you home
I never saw ya
Never ever saw ya
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
Yeah, does it good, too, Let's rock
Hey
I saw you walkin' on down the line
You know I saw you
For the very first time
A pretty little thing
Standin' all alone
Hey, pretty baby
Can I take you home
I never saw ya
Never ever saw ya
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
Ooh wow
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
The lyrics of the song "Hanky Panky" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are relatively simple and straightforward. The song is about a woman who does a dance move called the "hanky panky," which seems to be her signature dance move that catches the singer's attention. The singer is then intrigued and wants to take her home.
It's not entirely clear what the "hanky panky" dance move entails, but the song suggests that it's something provocative and sexy. The repetition of the phrase "my baby does the hanky panky" reinforces the idea that this dance move is unique to the woman in question and is a defining aspect of her identity.
Overall, "Hanky Panky" is a fun and flirtatious song that celebrates the power of dancing to bring people together and create new connections.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby does the hanky panky
My significant other engages in a playful and intimate activity with me.
Yeah
Acknowledging agreement or enthusiasm towards the previous statement.
I saw you walkin' on down the line
I noticed you walking in my vicinity.
You know I saw you
Making it clear that you are aware of their presence.
For the very first time
This is the initial encounter between us.
A pretty little thing
Complimenting their appealing physical appearance.
Standin' all alone
Observing that they are not in the company of anyone else.
Hey, pretty baby
Addressing them in an affectionate manner.
Can I take you home
Expressing interest in further intimacy and potentially leading to a physical relationship.
I never saw ya
Claiming to not have seen them before this moment.
Never ever saw ya
Emphasizing that this is the initial encounter and there has never been a previous sighting.
Yeah, does it good, too, Let's rock
Praising their ability in the aforementioned playful activity and suggesting to continue the good times.
Ooh wow
Expressing excitement or pleasure towards the situation.
Lyrics © CARLIN MUSIC CORP
Written by: JEFF BARRY, ELLIE GREENWICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind