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
Little Liar
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To look you in the eye and tell it like it is.
Always thought that you would be the same
It's such a shame that's not the way it is.
I was fooled by your innocence.
And my love for you was so intense.
With our connection only physical,
Well, that's a lie.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you, oh!
A simple question makes you look away.
Your hesitation gives it all away.
There's some protection in the way you move.
If there's sadness in my eyes,
It's coming from your lies.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
I believed in you.
You want to sleep with me, but payback's tough.
Why don't you call me when you're all grown up?
If there's a change in you, I'll know it's true.
Hey little liar, I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
Hey little liar.
Hey little liar.
Hey little liar.
The lyrics of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' song Little Liar tell the story of someone who has been deceived by a lover who was not what they seemed to be. The first verse establishes a sense of trust that has been broken, as the singer was taught to never tell a lie and expected the same from their partner. The second verse reveals that the singer was fooled by the lover's innocence, and that their love was mostly physical. However, it seems that the singer was aware that this relationship was not entirely honest and that they were lying to themselves by going along with it. The chorus repeats the phrase "Hey little liar, I believed in you" as a way to express disappointment and disillusionment.
The third verse suggests that the singer has confronted the lover with a simple question and that their reaction gave away their deceit. The singer also notes that there is some protection in the way the lover moves, perhaps implying that they are trying to hide something. The singer acknowledges that their sadness comes from the lies they have been told. The final verse is a kind of ultimatum, as the singer tells the lover that they want payback and that they should only come back when they have grown up and changed their ways. The repetition of "Hey little liar, I believed in you" at the end of the song reinforces the sense of betrayal.
Line by Line Meaning
I was taught to never tell a lie
My upbringing instilled in me the value of honesty and telling the truth.
To look you in the eye and tell it like it is.
I was taught to be upfront and honest with people, even if it's difficult.
Always thought that you would be the same
I had high expectations for you based on my own values and beliefs.
It's such a shame that's not the way it is.
I'm disappointed and regretful that you didn't live up to my expectations.
I was fooled by your innocence.
Your outward appearance of naivety and purity made me trust you, but it turned out to be deceptive.
And my love for you was so intense.
I had strong feelings for you that blinded me to your true nature and actions.
With our connection only physical,
Our relationship was based solely on physical attraction.
If it got me through the night / Well, that's a lie.
I lied to myself and pretended that our physical connection was enough, even though I knew deep down it wasn't.
Hey little liar. I believed in you.
I trusted you and put my faith in you, only to be let down.
A simple question makes you look away.
Your evasiveness and reluctance to answer simple questions indicate that you have something to hide.
Your hesitation gives it all away.
Your indecisiveness and reluctance to commit show that you're not being truthful.
There's some protection in the way you move.
Your guarded and defensive demeanor suggests that you're not being completely honest with me.
If there's sadness in my eyes, / It's coming from your lies.
Your deceitful behavior is causing me emotional distress and sadness.
You want to sleep with me, but payback's tough.
You're interested in a sexual relationship with me, but I won't let you take advantage of me.
Why don't you call me when you're all grown up?
I won't engage with you until you've matured and can show genuine remorse for your actions.
If there's a change in you, I'll know it's true.
I'm open to the idea of reconciliation if you demonstrate a real change in your behavior and attitude.
Hey little liar, I believed in you.
Once again, I express my disappointment and disillusionment in you, and lament that I ever had faith in you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DESMOND CHILD, JOAN JETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@carrieanne2012
This song was terribly underrated!
@airguitarist8633
Agreed
@TEACHERSSEES
CORRECT...
@Corn_Pone_Flicks
What was it rated?
@Muzikgirl67
@Corn Pone Flicks In it's 13th week on the chart, the song made it's peak at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart for one week back in January 1989 for Joan. "Little liar" spent five months (20 weeks) total on the Hot 100... Hope that helps a little! Let the good music play on and take care! Ms. Elizabeth 🎧🎶📻🎶📻
@rosefarias8380
Absolutely 💯
@arik22g
I wish they would still perform this song live in their concerts
One of Joan Jett's best songs ever
@shaunhall960
Indeed!
@josephclark4999
I think it is her best. From the heart.
@francmagister4351
@Shaun Hall l p0000pl000p000lp❤