Friday Song: “Cherry Bomb”
Fifty years after the US bicentennial, “Cherry Bomb” still rocks and shocks
Written by Joan Jett and the Runaway’s producer Kim Fowley, “Cherry Bomb” is a play on the name of lead singer Cherie Currie, who was just 16 years old when the song was released. The double entendre is clear — she’s taunting authority with suggestions that she might behave badly and bring others down with her.
It was all by design, as Fowley knew that shock was a great way to break through in music, so band of fetching young female musicians being a little naughty was a great way to get a lot of press and sell a lot of records.
It worked as planned at first and then backfired, as the band couldn’t shake the image. Their later works weren’t taken seriously, and the band dissolved in 1979.
Currie went on to become a chainsaw artist. Really.
When the Runaways dissolved, record companies swooped in to sign the members including Lita Ford, but Joan Jett was routinely overlooked. Her next producer Kenny Laguna couldn’t believe it, seeing her as a combination of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger.
Jett of course went on to become a huge rock star, with songs like “I Love Rock and Roll,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” “Crimson and Clover,” and “Bad Reputation” brought easily to mind.
“Cherry Bomb” remains popular among rock fans with a sense of humor, young and old. I was surprised when the teenage House Band at the School of Rock where I’ve been teaching embraced the song for their shows, and even more surprised to see parents and kids alike going nuts when they played it.
Jett performed the song with Dave Grohl when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.
Enjoy!