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
Season of the Witch
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Many sights to see
And when I look in my window
So many different people to be
That it's strange
So strange
You've got to pick up every stitch
You've got to pick up every stitch
Oh no
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
When I look over my shoulder
What do you think I see
Some old soul look over
Her shoulder at me
And she's strange
Sure she's strange
You've got to pick up every stitch
You've got to pick up every stitch
You've got to pick up every stitch
Oh no
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
When I look out my window
What do you think I see
When I look in my window
So many different people to be
It's strange
Sure it's strange
You've got to pick up every stitch
You've got to pick up every stitch
Rabbits run in the ditch
Oh
Oh no
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Yeah yeah yeah
Be the season of the witch
Yeah yeah yeah
Be the season of the witch
Yeah yeah yeah
Season of the witch
Season of the witch
The lyrics of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts's song "Season of the Witch" describe feelings of confusion and disorientation. Looking out the window, the singer sees many different sights and people, making it feel like a strange world. When looking over the shoulder, there is an old soul staring back, adding to the uneasy feeling. The repetition of the line "You've got to pick up every stitch" may be interpreted as a call to pay attention to every detail in order to navigate through the confusion.
The chorus suggests that this feeling of disorientation might be caused by the season of the witch. This idea is likely borrowed from the 1966 song of the same name by Donovan, which was a popular hit at the time. The concept of a "season of the witch" implies a time of change or upheaval, perhaps even magical or supernatural forces at work. In this context, the imagery of rabbits running in ditches could be interpreted as a symbol of fear and vulnerability in this strange and unsettling time.
Overall, the lyrics of "Season of the Witch" convey a sense of unease and uncertainty about the world and one's place in it.
Line by Line Meaning
When I look out my window
Looking out at the world and all it has to offer
Many sights to see
There are many different opportunities available
And when I look in my window
Looking within oneself
So many different people to be
One can be whoever they want to be
That it's strange
The possibilities and potential are unusual
You've got to pick up every stitch
Attention to detail is crucial
You've got to pick up every stitch
Every aspect requires precision
You've got to pick up every stitch
Perfection is necessary
Oh no
Expressing concern or worry
Must be the season of the witch
A time of great change and transformation
Must be the season of the witch
A time of magic and mystery
Must be the season of the witch
A time of unexpected events and surprises
When I look over my shoulder
Looking back at the past
What do you think I see
Reflecting on past experiences
Some old soul look over
A wise and experienced person
Her shoulder at me
Looking at me with insight
And she's strange
The wisdom and experience is unusual
Sure she's strange
She appears odd or different
When I look out my window
Looking out at the world and all it has to offer
What do you think I see
Reflecting on the different aspects of life
So many different people to be
Many different paths to choose from
It's strange
The vastness of possibilities is unusual
You've got to pick up every stitch
Attention to detail is crucial
You've got to pick up every stitch
Every aspect requires precision
Rabbits run in the ditch
Unexpected things happen
Oh
Expressing emotion or reaction
Oh no
Expressing concern or worry
Must be the season of the witch
A time of great change and transformation
Must be the season of the witch
A time of magic and mystery
Must be the season of the witch
A time of unexpected events and surprises
Yeah yeah yeah
Expressing excitement or enthusiasm
Be the season of the witch
Embracing the change and transformation
Yeah yeah yeah
Expressing excitement or enthusiasm
Be the season of the witch
Embracing the magic and mystery
Yeah yeah yeah
Expressing excitement or enthusiasm
Season of the witch
Signifying the time of change and transformation
Contributed by Kayla M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.