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
KISS ON THE LIPS
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Close my eyes
Wanna touch
Wanna take some time to realize
All you really wanna know
All you really need to say
All you really gotta do
Give a little more than a kiss on the lips
Yeah
Feel sensation
From both extremes
Don't shy away from painful scenes
Are you gonna let it go
Are you gonna let the juices flow
Are you gonna let it go
Are you gonna stop at just a kiss on the lips
Source of protection
Tie up the wrist
Sign of affection
Kiss on the lips
What are you waiting for
It's not just a metaphor
Hey
Oh, in it deep
Where do you go from here
Take a chance to overcome your fear
Have you ever taken a risk
Have you ever taken a fist
Have you ever taken a risk
When all you ever wanted was a kiss on the lips
Lethal injection
Tie up the wrist
Sign of affection
Kiss on the lips
Source of protection
Slap on the wrist
Sign of affection
Kiss on the lips
Kiss on the lips
Kiss on the lips
Kiss on the lips
Kiss on the lips
The song “Kiss on the Lips” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is an ode to taking risks and going beyond just a kiss on the lips. The lyrics suggest that the deeper connection between two people requires more openness and vulnerability, which can be scary. The lines “Feel sensation from both extremes, don't shy away from painful scenes,” indicate that a true connection requires both pleasure and pain, and that one should embrace both in order to fully connect. The lines “Are you gonna let the juices flow” suggest that true passion cannot be held back or controlled.
The song also speaks to the importance of communication in relationships. The lines “All you really wanna know, all you really need to say, all you really gotta do, give a little more than a kiss on the lips” urge the listener to really open up and communicate their needs and desires. Without honest communication, a relationship cannot reach its full potential.
Line by Line Meaning
Feel connected
Desire to feel a real emotional connection
Close my eyes
Allowing oneself to be completely present in the moment
Wanna touch
Desire for physical touch and intimacy
Wanna take some time to realize
Need to take things slow and really think through one's actions and feelings
All you really wanna know
Desire for clarity and honesty in communication
All you really need to say
Simplification of communication, need for directness
All you really gotta do
Minimalist approach to action, need for authenticity
Give a little more than a kiss on the lips
The need to deepen intimacy beyond just physical affection
Feel sensation
The desire to feel pleasure and experience intensity
From both extremes
Desire to fully live and embrace all aspects of life
Don't shy away from painful scenes
The need to confront and face difficult situations head on
Are you gonna let it go
Challenge to release inhibitions and fully embrace the present moment
Are you gonna let the juices flow
Fully allowing oneself to experience intense pleasure and sensation
Are you gonna stop at just a kiss on the lips
Challenge to deepen intimacy beyond just physical affection
Source of protection
Utilizing physical restraints for the sake of protection
Tie up the wrist
Symbolic act of restraint and control
Sign of affection
Demonstration of love and care
What are you waiting for
Challenge to take action and pursue desires
It's not just a metaphor
Emphasizing the reality and seriousness of the situation
Oh, in it deep
Fully immersed and committed to the situation
Where do you go from here
Need for direction and clarity in the midst of intense emotions
Take a chance to overcome your fear
Encouragement to face and conquer one's fears in order to grow
Have you ever taken a risk
Reflection on the past and the importance of taking risks
Have you ever taken a fist
Adversity and challenge faced in the past
When all you ever wanted was a kiss on the lips
The realization that one's desires may need to go deeper than just physical affection
Lethal injection
Metaphor for intense, possibly dangerous experiences
Slap on the wrist
Symbolic punishment or reminder to stay on track
Kiss on the lips
Emphasis on the importance of physical and emotional intimacy
Kiss on the lips
Emphasis on the importance of physical and emotional intimacy
Kiss on the lips
Emphasis on the importance of physical and emotional intimacy
Kiss on the lips
Emphasis on the importance of physical and emotional intimacy
Kiss on the lips
Emphasis on the importance of physical and emotional intimacy
Contributed by Cooper A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.