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
Cherry Bomb
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't stay at school
Old folks say
"You poor little fool"
Down the street
I'm the girl next door
I'm the fox you've been waiting for
Hello Daddy
Hello Mom
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hello world
I'm your wild girl
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Stone age love and strange sounds too
Come on baby let me get into you
Bad nights causin' teenage blues
Get down ladies you've got nothing to lose!
Hello Daddy
Hello Mom
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hello world
I'm your wild girl
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hey street boy, want some style?
Your dead end dreams don't make you smile
I'll give ya something to live for
Have ya, grab ya
'Til you're sore
Hello Daddy
Hello Mom
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hello world
I'm your wild girl
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Joan Jett's song "Cherry Bomb" is an energetic and rebellious anthem that encapsulates the excitement and freedom of youth. The lyrics convey a young girl's desire to break free from the confines of her home and school and explore the world around her. The "old folks" may tell her she's a "poor little fool," but she sees herself as the "fox you've been waiting for" - a bold, confident, and irresistible force of nature.
The chorus of the song is a rallying cry for all the wild girls out there: "Hello Daddy, Hello Mom, I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb, Hello world, I'm your wild girl, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb." It's a declaration of independence and a refusal to be tamed or contained. The verses are filled with references to sex and rebellion, with the singer urging the listener to "come on baby, let me get into you" and offering to "give ya something to live for."
Overall, "Cherry Bomb" is a celebration of youthful energy, rebellion, and sexuality. It's a song that speaks to anyone who has ever felt the urge to break free and live life on their own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't stay at home
I'm too restless to be confined to the house
Can't stay at school
I'm too rebellious for the classroom
Old folks say
The adults in my life disapprove of my behavior
"You poor little fool"
They think I'm naive and foolish
Down the street
I'm right around the corner
I'm the girl next door
I'm not quite what you expect
I'm the fox you've been waiting for
I'm exactly what you've been craving
Hello Daddy
Hey father figure,
Hello Mom
Hey mother figure,
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
I'm your explosive and irresistible child
Hello world
Hey everyone else,
I'm your wild girl
I'm the one who's going to shake things up
Stone age love and strange sounds too
I'm not interested in conventional romance or music
Come on baby let me get into you
I want to make a physical and emotional connection with you
Bad nights causin' teenage blues
I'm dealing with typical teenage angst
Get down ladies you've got nothing to lose!
Girls should embrace their freedom and have fun
Hey street boy, want some style?
I can help you upgrade your image
Your dead end dreams don't make you smile
You're not happy with your life
I'll give ya something to live for
I'll show you what it means to really live
Have ya, grab ya
Come on, let's go
'Til you're sore
Let's have a wild and unforgettable experience
Cherry bomb
I'm explosive and impossible to ignore
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Joan Jett, Kim Fowley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Saphira Xenia
Can't stay at home, can't stay at school
Old folks say, "You poor little fool"
Down the streets I'm the girl next door
I'm the fox you've been waiting for
Hello, daddy, hello, mom
I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hello world I'm your wild girl
I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Stone age love and strange sounds too
Come on, baby, let me get to you
Bad nights causing teenage blues
Get down ladies, you've got nothin' to lose
Hello, daddy, hello, mom
I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hello world I'm your wild girl
I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hello, daddy, hello, mom
I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hello world I'm your wild girl
I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hey, street boy, what some style?
Your dead end dreams don't make you smile
I'll give you something to live for
Have you and grab you until you're sore
Hello, daddy, hello, mom
I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Hello world I'm your wild girl
I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry Bomb
Donald Majewski
Great song. Joan took it to a whole new level from the original band version of the Runaways.
QQkitty Chen
In 2023, this song still sounds as stunning as ever!
It has become a timeless classic.
JudyGurl
Not to dis Cherie, but if we're being totally honest, THIS VERSION KICKS ASS!!!!!!!!
cher hewitt
I agree!
Claucara- joanjettfan
She have sing some songs from the runaways in this band.
Stanze
Rock on Joan!
Michelle Mann
Joan Queen Of rock!
civildude
Joan, you are so AWESOME!!
Malene Valentin
You Rock Joan!
RiverDS
This is kinda the original since Joan was suppose to be singer than she backed down now she finally sang it in this year