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
Be My Lover
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I don't know ya
With a magnifying glance
I just sort of looked her over, hmm
We have a drink or two
Well, maybe three
And then suddenly you started telling me
Your life story
Baby, if you want to be my lover
You better take me home
'Cause it's a long long way to paradise
And I'm still on my own
Told ya that I came
From New York City
And I played guitar
In a real live rock and roll band
You asked me why
The singer's name was Alice
I said listen, baby
You really wouldn't understand
And I said
Baby, if you want to
Be my lover
You better take me home
'Cause it's a long long way to paradise
And I'm still on my own
Baby, if you want to
Be my lover
You better take me home
'Cause it's a long long way to paradise
And I'm still on my own
In "Be My Lover," Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are telling the story of meeting someone new in a bar. The singer, who is female, observes a stranger entering the room and begins to look her over. They engage in conversation and exchange a few drinks, and the stranger begins to tell the singer about her life story. The stranger indicates that if the singer wants to be her lover, she needs to take her home because it's a long way to paradise, and the stranger is still on her own. The singer tells the stranger about her background as a guitarist in a rock band in New York City, and the stranger asks about the lead singer's name. When the singer responds that the stranger wouldn't understand, she reiterates that if the stranger wants to be her lover, she needs to take her home.
The song is about the desire for a deeper connection with a stranger that one meets in a bar. It explores the idea of a fleeting moment, where two people meet and share stories, but ultimately are left alone once again. The lyrics suggest that the singer is looking for a substantial relationship but is hesitant to trust the stranger.
Line by Line Meaning
You strut into the room
You come into the room with a confident, self-assured gait
Well I don't know ya
I'm not familiar with you, we've never met before
With a magnifying glance
I examine you closely, taking note of every detail or nuance
I just sort of looked her over, hmm
After a quick scan, I take a moment to ponder what I've seen
We have a drink or two
We consume one or two beverages
Well, maybe three
Possibly we have more than just two drinks
And then suddenly you started telling me
Without warning, you begin to speak to me in earnest
Your life story
You tell me about the most significant events in your life, in their entirety
You said
You expressed to me
Baby, if you want to be my lover
If you desire to be in a romantic relationship with me
You better take me home
You should take me to my place of residence
'Cause it's a long long way to paradise
Becoming my lover is not an easy feat
And I'm still on my own
I am still single, despite any past relationships
Told ya that I came
I informed you that I hail from
From New York City
The city of New York, located in the United States
And I played guitar
I possess the skill of playing a musical instrument, the guitar
In a real live rock and roll band
I have been a member of a genuine and active rock band
You asked me why
You inquired as to the reason
The singer's name was Alice
One of my bandmates, the vocalist, bore the name Alice
I said listen, baby
I stated to you, with an air of familiarity
You really wouldn't understand
You do not possess the requisite knowledge or context to fully comprehend the situation
And I said
I expressed to you
Baby, if you want to
If you desire to
Be my lover
Enter into a romantic relationship with me
You better take me home
You should take me to my residence
'Cause it's a long long way to paradise
Becoming my lover is not an easy feat
And I'm still on my own
I am still single, despite any past relationships
Baby, if you want to
If you desire to
Be my lover
Enter into a romantic relationship with me
You better take me home
You should take me to my residence
'Cause it's a long long way to paradise
Becoming my lover is not an easy feat
And I'm still on my own
I am still single, despite any past relationships
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MICHAEL BRUCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind