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
Naked
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Show yourself to no one
Wear a mask
Didn't think you'd tear it all apart
Didn't know you had the nerve for that
Every bit of trouble that I've cherished
Every bit of truth that I let perish
Every little bit of me is naked
I am naked now
I am naked now
Yeah
Close your eyes and wonder why it's dark
Built a house of cards around your heart
Act surprised when you keep fallin' down
Something about you is like a spark
Didn't think you'd tear it all apart
Yeah you burn all other life down to the ground
Every bit of time that I have wasted
Every bit of truth I never tasted
Every little bit of me is naked
I am naked now
I am naked now
I am naked now
Every bit of trouble that I've cherished
Every bit of truth that I let perish
Every little bit of me is naked
I am naked now
I am naked now
I am naked now
I am naked now
I am naked now
Naked now
Now
Naked now
Now
I am naked now
The lyrics of "Naked" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts speak to the vulnerability and exposed feeling of being emotionally open with another person. The opening lines, "Built a house of cards around your heart / Show yourself to no one / Wear a mask" suggest that the singer has been guarding their heart for some time, not allowing anyone to see the real them. However, it becomes apparent that this strategy has failed when the line "Didn't think you'd tear it all apart / Didn't know you had the nerve for that" reveals that the singer's defenses have been breached. This leaves them feeling exposed and with "Every little bit of me...naked."
The chorus repeats this sentiment, emphasizing the idea that without the protection of their emotional armor, the singer is vulnerable and exposed in a new and uncomfortable way. The lyrics "Every bit of trouble that I've cherished / Every bit of truth that I let perish" reveal that their guardedness has caused them to miss out on some experiences and that perhaps it's time to let down their defenses and be open to new opportunities, even if it means facing painful truths about themselves or others. The closing lines of the song repeat the phrase "I am naked now" almost as a mantra, suggesting that the singer has come to accept and live comfortably in their newfound vulnerability.
Overall, the lyrics of "Naked" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are a meditation on the risks and rewards of being emotionally open with others. It is a reminder of our shared humanity and the importance of forging genuine connections with others, even when it feels scary and uncomfortable.
Line by Line Meaning
Built a house of cards around your heart
You built walls around your heart that are fragile like a house of cards
Show yourself to no one
You keep your true self hidden from the world
Wear a mask
You put on a façade to hide your inner self
Didn't think you'd tear it all apart
You never expected to destroy the walls you built around your heart
Didn't know you had the nerve for that
You never realized you had the courage to expose your true self
Every bit of trouble that I've cherished
You hold on to the difficulties and pain you've experienced in your life
Every bit of truth that I let perish
You have suppressed the honesty and authenticity within you
Every little bit of me is naked
You have finally exposed your true self
I am naked now
You have stripped away the façade and revealed your true self
Close your eyes and wonder why it's dark
You are questioning the darkness that surrounds you
Act surprised when you keep fallin' down
You are trying to hide the fact that you keep failing
Something about you is like a spark
There is something within you that is special and unique
Yeah you burn all other life down to the ground
You have the power to destroy everything around you
Every bit of time that I have wasted
You regret the time you have spent on things that don't matter
Every bit of truth I never tasted
You have never allowed yourself to experience the truth within you
I am naked now
You have stripped away the façade and revealed your true self
Naked now
You are finally showing your true self
Now
The time has come to be honest and authentic
I am naked now
You have stripped away the façade and revealed your true self
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOAN JETT, RUDY LEROY YULY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind