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
Riddles
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But listen to what they say
How they sit in judgement
An' claim to know the way
If dreams can be dismembered
An' our worth can be ignored
Need a new direction
Cause this one we can't afford
There's bad stuff happening
An' no one does a thing
What can I do
What can I say
When they just speak at
Us in riddles
How can this be
Why can't ya see
That they just speak
At us in riddles
Got ourselves in trouble
With no relief in sight
Everyday is such a struggle
Cause they had to pick a fight
How can this be happening
Can't we do anything
What can I do
What can I say
When they just speak at
Us in riddles
How can this be
Why can't ya see
That they just speak
At us in riddles
The peace is the war
The rich are too poor
An' they just speak at us in riddles
How can this be
Why can't ya see
That they just speak at us in riddles
We're stuck right in the middle
Clear skies baby
Healthy forests
No Child Left Behind
Wake up people
Big Brother is watchin' you
They're takin' all your rights away
Don't claim that you represent me cause
I don't believe a word that ya say
What can I do
What can I say
When they just speak at
Us in riddles
How can this be
Why can't ya see
That they just speak
At us in riddles
Let's see through the riddles
In "Riddles," Joan Jett and the Blackhearts express their frustration with the state of the world and the way that those in power communicate with the rest of us. The opening lines set up the theme: "Talkin' heads are talkin' / But listen to what they say / How they sit in judgement / An' claim to know the way." Jett is pointing out the hypocrisy of people who profess to have all the answers but are often disconnected from the reality of everyday life.
The chorus focuses on the feeling of being trapped in a world of confusion and deception: "What can I do / What can I say / When they just speak at / Us in riddles / How can this be / Why can't ya see / That they just speak / At us in riddles." The use of the word "riddles" is significant, suggesting that those in power are speaking in a way that is difficult to understand or decipher. Jett is urging listeners to think for themselves and see through the rhetoric.
The final verse touches on a range of social and political issues, from environmental degradation ("Healthy forests") to government surveillance ("Big Brother is watchin' you"). Ultimately, Jett's message is that we need to be vigilant and not take what we're told at face value.
Line by Line Meaning
Talkin' heads are talkin'
People with power and influence are saying a lot of things
But listen to what they say
Pay attention to the actual content of their words
How they sit in judgement
How they act as if they have the authority to judge others
An' claim to know the way
And assert that they have all the answers
If dreams can be dismembered
If our aspirations can be broken down and destroyed
An' our worth can be ignored
And our value as human beings can be disregarded
Need a new direction
We require a fresh path forward
Cause this one we can't afford
Because continuing on the current path is too costly
What can I do
What actions can I take
What can I say
What words can I use to make a difference
When they just speak at
When they only talk
Us in riddles
Using language that is intentionally confusing or obscure
How can this be
How is it possible that things are like this
Why can't ya see
Why are you unable to understand what's happening
That they just speak
That they only communicate
At us in riddles
Using confusing language when addressing us
Got ourselves in trouble
We put ourselves in a problematic situation
With no relief in sight
Without any solutions available
Everyday is such a struggle
Each day presents significant challenges
Cause they had to pick a fight
Because they deliberately chose to start a conflict
The peace is the war
They claim that the absence of overt violence is equivalent to peace
The rich are too poor
Even the wealthy are struggling under the current situation
An' they just speak at us in riddles
And they continue to use confusing language when talking to us
We're stuck right in the middle
We are caught in the middle of an ongoing problem
Clear skies baby
A reference to environmental concerns
Healthy forests
Another reference to environmental issues
No Child Left Behind
A reference to a specific law related to education
Wake up people
A call to action, urging others to become more aware of problems
Big Brother is watchin' you
A reference to George Orwell's novel 1984 and its themes of government surveillance and control
They're takin' all your rights away
A statement about a perceived loss of freedoms
Don't claim that you represent me cause
Do not assert that you speak on my behalf because
I don't believe a word that ya say
I find your words to be untrustworthy
Let's see through the riddles
Encouraging others to parse out the real meaning behind intentionally confusing language
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOAN JETT, KENNETH LAGUNA, LINDA PERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind