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
Let Me Go
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I walk alone with no tomorrow
Woah woe yeah, I do now
And there's a cause for all my sorrow
Woe woe, 'cause of you now
I wake up every mornin'
Sad and lonely, but it's only
Oh let me go, let me go
Oh let me go, let me go
Oh let me go, let me go
Just once I'd love to stand before you
Woe woe, yeah, I would now
I'd curse the day that I first saw you
Woah, woe, if I could then
I'd walk out with my head high
I'd be free but look at silly me
I haven't got the nerve to say it
Why should I live a lie
I could try
But it won't do us no good
Oh let me go, let me go
Oh let me go, let me go
It's just no good, I've got to tell you
Oh oh, an' I will now
Just say goodbye and wish me well
I've had my fill so
Go find somebody new to
Play your tricks on, put your fix on
I hope you get what you deserve you bugger
The lyrics of Joan Jett's "Let Me Go" paint a picture of a person living in a painful and unfulfilling relationship that they desperately want to end. The first verse expresses the singer's solitude, as they wander aimlessly through their life with a sense of hopelessness, and all their sadness stems from their tormentor. The second verse suggests that if only they could muster the courage to speak up, they would have long ended the relationship. The chorus, repetitive in nature, encapsulates the emotional abandonment the singer desires, tapping into the emotions of loss, pain, and regret. The third verse then sees the singer overcoming their fears and telling the other person to let them go. They are at a point where they can't stand the situation anymore and want to move on, even if it means having to break up.
The lyrics of "Let Me Go" illustrate a relatable experience of wanting to end a relationship that is no longer effective or pleasing, but holding on to it because of fear, uncertainty, and other constraints. It's a song of self-discovery and empowerment, a message to people to fight for their dignity and independence in relationships, to recognize their worth, and sometimes to walk away.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk alone with no tomorrow
The singer feels lonely with no hope for the future.
And there's a cause for all my sorrow
The singer's sadness is caused by someone or something.
I wake up every mornin' Sad and lonely, but it's only That I haven't got the nerve to say it
The singer is afraid to express her feelings to someone causing her sadness and loneliness.
Just once I'd love to stand before you
The singer wishes to confront the person who is causing her pain.
I'd curse the day that I first saw you
The singer regrets ever meeting the person who is causing her grief.
Why should I live a lie I could try But it won't do us no good
The singer realizes that pretending everything is fine and trying to make it work with the person causing her pain won't lead to a positive outcome.
It's just no good, I've got to tell you
The singer has decided she needs to speak her truth to the person who has been hurting her.
Go find somebody new to Play your tricks on, put your fix on I hope you get what you deserve you bugger
The singer wants the person who has caused her pain to move on and find someone else to manipulate and hurt, and hopes they get what they deserve in the end.
Oh let me go, let me go
The singer wants to be released from the emotional burden of the relationship that is causing her pain and loneliness.
I'd walk out with my head high I'd be free but look at silly me I haven't got the nerve to say it
The singer wants to be strong enough to leave the relationship without looking back, but is held back by her fear of expressing herself.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARRY MANILOW, MARTIN PANZER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind