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
We're Not Gonna Take It
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We've got the right to choose and
There ain't no way we'll lose it
This is our life, this is our song
We'll fight the powers that be just
Don't pick our destiny 'cause
We're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
Oh you're so condescending
Your gall is never ending
We don't want nothin', not a thing from you
Your life is trite and jaded
Boring and confiscated
If that's your best, your best won't do
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
We're right, yeah
We're free, yeah
We'll fight, yeah
You'll see, yeah
We're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
We're right, yeah
We're free, yeah
We'll fight, yeah
You'll see, yeah
We're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We're not gonna take it,
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We're not gonna take it,
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We're not gonna take it,
We got the right to choose and
No, we ain't gonna take it
There ain't no way we'll lose it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We're not gonna take it,
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We're not gonna take it,
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We're not gonna take it,
We'll fight the powers that be
No, we ain't gonna take it
Don't pick our destiny
We're not gonna take it anymore
The lyrics of We're Not Gonna Take It are a defiant statement against authority and conformity. The song presents a message of empowerment, declaring that individuals have the right to choose their own path in life and fight against those who try to dictate their destiny. The song's anthem-like quality, with its repetitive chorus and simple, catchy melody, helps to reinforce the message of individual freedom, encouraging listeners to take action and stand up to oppressive forces.
The lyrics also contain a strong critique of those who hold power over others, particularly those who are condescending or dismissive of individual needs and desires. The chorus "We're not gonna take it / No, we ain't gonna take it / We're not gonna take it anymore" is a direct challenge to those who seek to control our lives, insisting that we have the power to resist and fight back. The song has become an anthem for a variety of social and political movements that see themselves as standing up against entrenched power structures and demanding greater individual freedom and autonomy.
Ultimately, the message of We're Not Gonna Take It is one of resistance and liberation, urging its listeners to break free from the constraints and expectations of others and chart their own course in life. The song's enduring popularity and cultural significance demonstrates how deeply ingrained these sentiments are in the human experience, and how important they remain to us today.
Line by Line Meaning
We're not gonna take it
We refuse to accept the current situation
No, we ain't gonna take it
We absolutely will not tolerate it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We have reached our limit and will not endure it any longer
We've got the right to choose and
We have the privilege to select our own path in life
There ain't no way we'll lose it
We are determined to keep our freedom of choice
This is our life, this is our song
We will live the way we choose to and express ourselves in our own way
We'll fight the powers that be just
We will oppose those who try to control us
Don't pick our destiny 'cause
Our future is not for you to choose
You don't know us, you don't belong
You are not a part of us and do not understand us
Oh you're so condescending
You act in a superior and patronizing manner
Your gall is never ending
Your audacity and arrogance has no limits
We don't want nothin', not a thing from you
We do not desire anything that you can offer
Your life is trite and jaded
Your life is dull and uninteresting
Boring and confiscated
You lead an uninspired and controlled life
If that's your best, your best won't do
If that is the best you can offer, it is insufficient for us
We're right, yeah
We are confident in our beliefs and decisions
We're free, yeah
We embrace our freedom to live as we choose
We'll fight, yeah
We will stand up for our rights and beliefs
You'll see, yeah
You will witness our strength and determination
We got the right to choose and
Once again, we have the ability to make our own decisions
We're not gonna take it anymore
We have drawn a line in the sand and will no longer tolerate oppression
Lyrics ยฉ EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JERRY ROBINSON, DANIEL DEE SNIDER, JASON NEVINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind