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
Outlaw
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black streak on the boulevard
Another place they don't let you stay
White rain fallin' cold-n-hard
Gotta get through it anyway
Try to be what ya wanna be
In a world where you never sleep
Every day is another fight
You can't live with the old rules
And I can understand
So you run to stay sane
When you're an outlaw everyone knows your name
When you're an outlaw everyone thinks you're strange
Try to be what you're born to be
Don't you dare you ain't got the might
When they go and get ya angry
You'll be there to stand and fight
You ain't lookin' for trouble hey, I can understand you but it's here anyway
When you're an outlaw everyone knows your name
When you're an outlaw nobody feels your pain
There goes the renegade you're the one they love to hate
But I don't look at you that way
You can live by your own rules if that's the way you planned
But there's no where to go
When you're an outlaw you run like an outlaw
You live like an outlaw alone like an outlaw
I know you're an outlaw I'm not your enemy
'cause you're not an outlaw when you're alone with me
So c'mon outlaw, outlaw
"Outlaw" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts is a song that talks about finding one's true identity in a world full of rules and constraints. The song starts with the image of a black streak on a boulevard, symbolizing the singer's rebellious streak. The singer talks about being in a place where you are not allowed to stay and white rain falling cold-n-hard, representing the obstacles and challenges in life that you have to face.
The song goes on to encourage individuals to be who they were born to be despite anyone telling them otherwise. The lyrics suggest that in such a world where you never sleep and every day is a new fight, you can't live by the old rules, and you need to create your own. These rules may make you an outlaw and different from others, but that's okay. The song emphasizes the fact that when you're an outlaw, everyone knows your name, and everyone thinks you're strange. Still, ultimately it's essential to stay true to oneself and live independently.
The lyrics showcase the singer's appreciation for those considered outlaws, their identity, and their environment. The song conveys the message that being different from everyone else is not a bad thing, and one should embrace oneself despite anyone hating them. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts's "Outlaw" portrays the importance of living a life by one's rules, regardless of how strange or eccentric others may perceive it.
Line by Line Meaning
Black streak on the boulevard
A sign of presence on the street with nowhere to go.
Another place they don't let you stay
Continuously being on the move as you cannot stay for long anywhere.
White rain fallin' cold-n-hard
Facing harsh and difficult situations that are unyielding.
Gotta get through it anyway
Despite the circumstances, one has to persevere and make it through.
Try to be what ya wanna be
Striving to become the person you desire to be.
Who's to say you ain't got the right
Nobody has the right to decide who you should be.
In a world where you never sleep
A world that is constantly moving and never rests.
Every day is another fight
Each day is a continuous battle.
You can't live with the old rules
The existing ways won't allow you to live the way you want.
And I can understand
Empathizing with someone's struggle and decision to rebel.
So you run to stay sane
Rebelling and running away becomes a way of preserving one's sanity.
When you're an outlaw everyone knows your name
The notoriety that comes with being an outlaw.
When you're an outlaw everyone thinks you're strange
The outcast status that comes with living outside the norm.
Try to be what you're born to be
Striving to live out one's true calling.
Don't you dare you ain't got the might
You should never think that you lack the strength to achieve your goals.
When they go and get ya angry
When people intentionally provoke or frustrate you.
You'll be there to stand and fight
You will not back down but choose to fight for what you believe in.
You ain't lookin' for trouble hey, I can understand you but it's here anyway
It's not in one's nature to go looking for trouble, but trouble still finds you.
When you're an outlaw nobody feels your pain
The isolation and loneliness that come with being an outlaw.
There goes the renegade you're the one they love to hate
As an outlaw, you become a symbol of rebellion and non-conformity.
But I don't look at you that way
Personally, I choose not to view you as an enemy or outsider.
You can live by your own rules if that's the way you planned
You have the autonomy to live your life according to your own standards.
But there's no where to go
Despite having the freedom to do as you please, there's no safe haven to run to.
When you're an outlaw you run like an outlaw
As an outlaw, running becomes second nature.
You live like an outlaw alone like an outlaw
Living a solitary life as an outlaw.
I know you're an outlaw I'm not your enemy
Acknowledging and empathizing with their situation but not seeing them as an enemy.
'cause you're not an outlaw when you're alone with me
Seeing the person as they truly are when you are alone with them.
So c'mon outlaw, outlaw
Inviting them to be themselves and not feel ashamed of their way of life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind