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
I Still Dream About You
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I recall how you can send me to heaven
You never deny me in the middle of the night
My desires from morn to eleven
Whenever I ask there's never a task
For someone as wild as you
It's tough to believe I can hardly conceive
Of the things you can get me to do
(I hold your picture and your eyes they talk to me)
(Saying I want you tonight)
I still dream about you
I still dream about you
I still dream about you
Are you lonely baby, are you lonely for me too
Every night I get this feeling inside
Anticipating what's gonna come
It's all I can do to keep my hands off my pie
When I think about the things we done
I'm in a position to break some tradition
Never mind the song and dance
If you rock on the corner and start rocking this joint
It's time that we are making an advance yes it is
(I hold your picture and your eyes they talk to me)
(Saying I want you tonight)
I still dream about you
I still dream about you
I still dream about you
The lyrics of "I Still Dream About You" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are an ode to desire and lust. In this song, Jett reminisces about a former lover and how they still have a hold on her. She sits on the edge of her bed, recalling the passion and excitement that this person brought into her life. Jett longs for them, as evidenced by lines like "Saying I want you tonight." She wants to connect with this person again, to feel the overwhelming desire she once did.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting on the edge of the bed
I am alone and reflecting on my memories with you.
I recall how you can send me to heaven
I think back on how euphoric being with you made me feel.
You never deny me in the middle of the night
I can always count on you to fulfill my needs regardless of the time or circumstance.
My desires from morn to eleven
My longing for you persists from the morning till the late hours of the night.
Whenever I ask there's never a task
You are always willing to fulfill any request I make without hesitation.
For someone as wild as you
Considering your adventurous and free-spirited nature.
It's tough to believe I can hardly conceive
It's hard to imagine how much you are capable of or how far you are willing to go for me.
Of the things you can get me to do
I am amazed at the persuasive and alluring power you possess over me.
(I hold your picture and your eyes they talk to me)
As I look at your photo, I feel as though your gaze is communicating directly with me.
(Saying I want you tonight)
It seems as though your eyes are expressing a desire for me, specifically in this moment.
I still dream about you
You continue to occupy my thoughts and vividly appear in my dreams.
Are you lonely baby, are you lonely for me too
I wonder if you are experiencing the same feelings of longing and loneliness that I am.
Every night I get this feeling inside
Every night, I am overcome with intense emotions regarding the possibility of being with you again.
Anticipating what's gonna come
I am eagerly anticipating the potential future with you, full of excitement and possibility.
It's all I can do to keep my hands off my pie
You arouse me so intensely that it's difficult to resist the urge to satisfy myself.
When I think about the things we done
I relive our past experiences together and how exhilarating they were for me.
I'm in a position to break some tradition
I am willing to break societal norms and expectations to be with you.
Never mind the song and dance
We do not need to bother with the superficial aspects of courting and can skip straight to what we want and need from each other.
If you rock on the corner and start rocking this joint
If you make a move and show interest, we can have an explosive and thrilling encounter.
It's time that we are making an advance yes it is
The opportunity for us to rekindle our connection is present and it's up to us to seize it.
(I hold your picture and your eyes they talk to me)
Again, as I look at your photo, I feel as though your eyes are conveying your desire for me.
(Saying I want you tonight)
Your eyes communicate an insatiable hunger for me, especially in this moment.
I still dream about you
You remain an integral and recurring figure in my life, and a potential source of intense satisfaction and fulfillment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY JOHN ROTTGER, JOAN JETT, RICKY BYRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind