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
Turn It Around
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was it just my name?
The changes that we both went through
Was it all a game?
I know that it was real to me
I wonder what you gave to me
It wasn't what ya said
'Til you got inside my head
And then I lost control of me
I gotta
[Chorus:]
Turn it around
Bringing myself right back to me
Turn it around
Bringing myself right back to me
I wonder what you took from me?
I wonder where it went
Every time you looked at me
I couldn't figure what'cha meant
I know I lost a part of me
I have to
[Chorus]
Owww
Yeah
Hey, hey, hey
Did you see it in my eyes
Was I that naive?
Did I simply compromise
The things that I believe?
But now that I'm aware of it
I'm gonna
[Chorus x 2]
"Turn It Around" is a song by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts that reflects on a failed relationship. The lyrics speak of confusion and frustration on the part of the singer, questioning what the other person involved truly meant during their time together. The singer wonders if their emotions and feelings were simply a game, and whether they were being used throughout the relationship. The chorus emphasizes the need to regain control of oneself and bring themselves back to their own center.
Through the lyrics, the singer realizes the impact of the relationship on their sense of self and acknowledges the parts of them lost during the time. However, the recognition of this loss leads to the need for recovery and regaining power over oneself. The final verse reflects the singer's newfound awareness and their determination to take back control of their life.
Line by Line Meaning
I wonder what it meant to you
I am curious about what our relationship actually meant to you
Was it just my name?
Did you really care about me or was I just someone you knew?
The changes that we both went through
We both experienced a lot of changes within our relationship
Was it all a game?
I am questioning whether or not our relationship was just a game to you
I know that it was real to me
Despite my doubts, I know that the relationship was real to me
I wonder what you gave to me
I am reflecting on what you provided in our relationship
It wasn't what ya said
Your words didn't always match up with your actions
You acted like a slave to me
You were subservient towards me but that wasn't necessarily beneficial for me
'Til you got inside my head
Your behavior and words started to mess with my thoughts and emotions
And then I lost control of me
After that, I lost control of my own thoughts and emotions
I gotta
I need to take action
Turn it around
I need to change things around
Bringing myself right back to me
I need to focus on myself and my own well-being
I wonder what you took from me?
I am wondering what I lost because of our relationship
I wonder where it went
I am questioning where that missing piece of me went
Every time you looked at me
Your gaze made me question myself
I couldn't figure what'cha meant
I couldn't comprehend your intentions or feelings towards me
I know I lost a part of me
I am aware that I lost a part of myself because of our relationship
Did you see it in my eyes
Did you notice that I was struggling?
Was I that naive?
Was I really that easy to manipulate?
Did I simply compromise
Did I sacrifice my own beliefs and values for you?
The things that I believe?
My own personal beliefs and values
But now that I'm aware of it
Now that I understand the situation
I'm gonna
I'm going to take action
[Chorus x 2]
Repeating the chorus for emphasis
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOAN JETT, KENNETH BENJAMIN LAGUNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind