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
This Means War
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin' to get to you
But I won't wait forever
Ya gotta let me through
Now I been diplomatic
But I don't know what for
'Cause you hurt me, now just watch me
'Cause I won't take no more
This means war and you will see it's senseless
This means war and soon you'll be defenseless
'Cause you can't win this war
There will be no replacements
Ya better get your gun
Because I'm comin' after you
For everything you done
And then when you are captured
It won't be like before
'Cause you teased me, deceived me
But this is what's in store
This means war and you will see it's senseless
This means war and soon you'll be defenseless
'Cause you can't win this war
You avoid reality in the calm before the storm
It hurts me so to fight with you
But since you closed the door
This means war and you will see it's senseless
This means war and soon you'll be defenseless
'Cause you can't win this war
This means war and you will see it's senseless
This means war and soon you'll be defenseless
'Cause you can't win this war
You can't win this war
You can't win this war
The lyrics of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts's song "This Means War" showcase a person who has been trying to break down some walls to get to someone else but has been unsuccessful. They have been patient and diplomatic till now but have reached a point where they can't take it anymore. The person has been hurt by the other person's actions, and now they are ready to retaliate. They are ready to fight and win this battle, and the other person has no chance of winning.
The lyrics convey a sense of revenge and anger towards the person who has hurt them. The person is ready to face the consequences of their actions and accept the challenge that this battle brings. The lyrics suggest that the person has tried to avoid fighting and has been hurt by the other person's behavior. However, now they have closed the door, and the battle is inevitable.
The lyrics of "This Means War" are relatable for anyone who has been in a similar situation. The song speaks to the emotions of betrayal and the desire for revenge, but it also suggests that sometimes it is necessary to fight for what is right.
Line by Line Meaning
I been knockin' the walls down
I have been working hard to get to you
Tryin' to get to you
Making efforts to be with you
But I won't wait forever
I have my limits too
Ya gotta let me through
You need to open up and let me in
Now I been diplomatic
I have been using tact and diplomacy so far
But I don't know what for
But it has been in vain because you have hurt me
'Cause you hurt me, now just watch me
You have caused me pain, and I am not going to take it anymore
'Cause I won't take no more
I can't tolerate your behavior anymore
There will be no replacements
There won't be anyone else to take my place
Ya better get your gun
You need to be prepared for what's coming
Because I'm comin' after you
I am going to take action against you
For everything you done
For all the things you have done to me
And then when you are captured
When I catch you
It won't be like before
I won't let you get away this time
'Cause you teased me, deceived me
You played games with me and lied to me
But this is what's in store
But I am going to fight back and make you pay
You avoid reality in the calm before the storm
You are trying to avoid the consequences of your actions
It hurts me so to fight with you
It pains me to have to fight with you
But since you closed the door
But you have left me no choice
This means war and you will see it's senseless
I am going to retaliate and it won't be worth it for you
This means war and soon you'll be defenseless
You won't be able to defend yourself
'Cause you can't win this war
Because you will lose this battle
You can't win this war
You cannot come out victorious
You can't win this war
I am determined to win this fight
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOAN MARIE JETT, KENNY LAGUNA, ROBERT SIDNEY JR. HALLIGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind