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
Wonderin'
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I change the channel cause the news looks bad
A great society is breakin' down in front of me
An' our leaders seem so unaware
It's plain to see that they just don't care
We could do so much we gotta get in touch with reality - yeah
It's not so hard to see what's goin' on
I'm wonderin' - is anyone out there?
Wonderin' - does anyone care?
I'm wonderin' - does anyone see what I see?
Or is it just me? Is it just me?
You can see it from coast to coast
An' it's the children who are sufferin' most
Some with no shoes on their feet, no good food they can eat
Where's the dignity for them?
Here in this land of opportunity
They should deserve a better break
I'm wonderin' - is anyone out there?
Wonderin' - does anyone care?
I'm wonderin' - does anyone see what I see?
Or is it just me? Is it just me?
An' now I pray for you America
Don't let the dream go and slip away
I'm wonderin' - is anyone out there?
Wonderin' - does anyone care?
I'm wonderin' - does anyone see what I see?
In Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' song Wonderin', the lyrics express the frustration and sadness that the singer feels when reading the headlines in the news. The societal breakdown and lack of awareness on the part of leaders is plainly visible to her, yet there seems to be no one who cares or is willing to do anything about it. She wonders if anyone else sees what she does and if anyone cares enough to make a change.
The song also touches upon the suffering of children in America, who do not have access to basic necessities like shoes and food. The singer questions why there is no dignity afforded to them in a land of opportunity, and implores the listeners to not let the dream slip away. The lyrics evoke a sense of empathy for those who are marginalized and a desire for change in the world.
Overall, through Wonderin', Joan Jett and the Blackhearts highlight the need for awareness and action in the face of societal problems and a call to not lose sight of the American dream. The lyrics express concern for those who are suffering and a desire to make the world a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
I read the headlines an' it makes me so mad
Every time I read the news, anger boils up inside me.
I change the channel cause the news looks bad
The news is often incredibly negative, and I can't bear to watch it.
A great society is breakin' down in front of me
I see our society deteriorating before my very eyes.
An' our leaders seem so unaware
Our leaders are oblivious to the problems facing our society.
It's plain to see that they just don't care
It's obvious that our leaders have little concern for the well-being of the people they serve.
We could do so much we gotta get in touch with reality - yeah
We have the power to create positive change, but first we need to acknowledge the realities of the situation.
It's not so hard to see what's goin' on
The problems are clearly visible to anyone who takes the time to look.
But no one answers when I say
Despite the obvious nature of the problems, nobody seems to be taking action to solve them.
You can see it from coast to coast
The problems are widespread and affect all parts of the country.
An' it's the children who are sufferin' most
Of all the groups affected by these problems, children seem to be bearing the brunt of the suffering.
Some with no shoes on their feet, no good food they can eat
Many children lack basic necessities like footwear and proper nutrition.
Where's the dignity for them?
These children are being denied the basic human dignity that they deserve.
Here in this land of opportunity
America is often seen as a place where anything is possible.
They should deserve a better break
These suffering children deserve better than the current circumstances in which they find themselves.
An' now I pray for you America
I hope that America can overcome these challenges and become a better country for all its citizens.
Don't let the dream go and slip away
We must continue to work towards the dream of making America a better and more just society for all.
I'm wonderin' - is anyone out there?
I am wondering if there is anybody else who sees these problems and is willing to take action to solve them.
Wonderin' - does anyone care?
I am wondering if there is anybody who cares about the suffering of others.
I'm wonderin' - does anyone see what I see?
I am wondering if there is anybody else who is able to perceive the problems in our society as clearly as I do.
Or is it just me? Is it just me?
I am wondering if I am the only person who is able to perceive the severity of the problems facing our society.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JIM VALLANCE, JOAN JETT, K. LAGUNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind