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
Black Leather
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, he's all geared up, walkin' down the street
I can see the slime, drippin' down his sleeve
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what he's gonna do
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what he's gonna do
Oh,
Well, it's late at night, and I'm all alone
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what he's gonna do
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what he's gonna do
Scratch, scratch, he's clawing at the door
Whoa, no, I can't take it anymore
Crack, crack I'm feeling so sore,
I never should have asked for black leather
Black leather, black leather, black leather
You can try to hide, you know you won't get far
You let him in, and you'll start again
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what he's gonna do
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what he's gonna do
Scratch, scratch, she's clawing at the door
Whoa, no, I can't take it anymore
Crack, crack I'm feeling so sore,
I never should asked for black leather
Black leather, black leather, black leather
The song "Black Leather" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts is a powerful rock song that speaks to the dangers of a certain kind of relationship. The lyrics are full of imagery, portraying a man who is slimy and dangerous, stalking a woman at night. The woman is afraid but unable to refuse him, because she is drawn to him and cannot resist his pull. The chorus repeats the phrase, "Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what he's gonna do," emphasizing the woman's lack of control in this situation.
In the final verse, the woman is scratching and clawing at the door, desperate to escape the man's grasp. She is sore and regretful, realizing that she never should have "asked for black leather." This image of black leather is a symbol for the man's danger and the woman's submission to him. It is a metaphor for the power dynamic between them, in which the woman is both attracted to and afraid of the man's dominance.
Overall, "Black Leather" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of falling for someone who is not good for you. It warns against the lure of danger and the temptation to give in to someone who is not worthy of our attention. The song's powerful lyrics and driving rock beat make it a memorable and impactful addition to Joan Jett's catalog.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Well, he's all geared up, walkin' down the street
There's a guy who's all decked out in black leather walking down the street.
I can see the slime, drippin' down his sleeve
He looks sleazy and untrustworthy and I can tell by how he's dressed.
Well, you can't refuse and you just can't choose what he's gonna do
There's nothing you can do to stop him or prevent what he's planning to do.
Well, it's late at night, and I'm all alone
It's dark out and I'm by myself.
I can hear the boots gettin' near her home
I can hear someone approaching my home, and it sounds like they're wearing boots.
Scratch, scratch, he's clawing at the door
He's trying to break into my house by scratching at the door.
Whoa, no, I can't take it anymore
I'm at my breaking point and can't handle it anymore.
Crack, crack I'm feeling so sore
I'm in so much pain, and I can feel the damage being done to me.
I never should have asked for black leather
I regret getting involved with this leather-wearing person.
You can try to hide, you know you won't get far
Even if you try to avoid him, he'll eventually catch up to you.
You let him in, and you'll start again
If you give in to him, you'll be letting yourself go down a bad path once again.
Scratch, scratch, she's clawing at the door
She's also trying to break into my house by scratching at the door.
Black leather, black leather, black leather
The leather represents something dark and dangerous that I wish I had never gotten involved with.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: EDDIE MORRIS, JOAN JETT, RICHARD GRIFFIN, WILLIAM ADLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@iamlukazz8834
Who is here cause Miley? ❤️❤️
@heloiselene3394
Meee
@raydenrifaga3594
Mee
@bopeep733
me
@precioushill9002
Lol me
@JooHill
#metoo ;)
@batDOG.RECORDS
Miley brought me here. Love this. The 80s were all about having something to say. Reminds me of King Dee Dee Ramona Funky Man, go watch that too if you love punk hip hop 80s infusion. Totally ahead of it’s time. I’m gunna put on my leather pants and dance.
@iamlukazz8834
Same
@jamiemartin1793
She was smoking hot back in the 80's and nothing has changed...Love Joan Jett
@afa78djd
The Queen of Rock N Roll doing RapRock! Whodda thought?