Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - Too Bad On Your Birthday Lyrics

Great song.

It was recorded first by Ram Jam, and though the Joan Jett version is cool, I still prefer the Ram Jam version...  :)

Sorry to throw water on your fire, but this song was written by neither Joan Jett nor Ram Jam.  It was written by the writing team of Arthur Resnick,and  Charles Karp.  Charlie Karp says, "Early on I had the wonderful opportunity of writing some songs with Artie Resnick.  the great songwriter of Under the Boardwalk and Good Lovin among many others, I used to talk to him about his formula for success.  He had produced so many hit songs.   When I pressed him on what it was that made a hit record he said, “Hell if I know and anyone who tells you they do know are full of shit.”  
Turns out he had hated some of his hit songs when he heard them on pre-release.   He so disliked a few that he tried to use all his power to stop the records from coming out.  To no avail they became #1.  “Isn’t THAT too bad?”  From then on when Artie and I were working on songs I had this idea that if he hated the song we were working on we were doing really well.    If he liked it, I actually worried.  We went on to write Buzz Buzz for Joe Perry and Too Bad on Your Birthday for  Joan Jett among others."

You mean you used to talk to Artie. Yes, Artie actually hated both The Drifters' version of 'Under The Boardwalk' and The Young Rascals' version of 'Good Lovin'. Ironically, I remember him telling me that he loved The Grateful Dead's version of 'Good Lovin'. I was there when this song was written, and when the original demo was recorded (being the brother of Charlie Karp). Actually, the house we were staying in at the time was NOT previously owned by Ellen Burstyn (she owned another house in the neighborhood, not our house). However, my brother did date Linda Blair's older sister (Debbie) at one time, and my older sister dated her older brother (Jimmy) around the same time. I asked my brother about this recently, this song, and he said-"I'm only sorry it wasn't on her 'I Love Rock 'N' Roll' album." Me? I love split pea soup (my favorite), even after having seen 'The Exorcist'.

I was actually there when this song was written.  It was written in a house in upstate NY that had previously been owned by Ellen Burstyn, who played Linda Blair's mother in 'The Exorcist'.  True Story.

I definitely prefer Ram Jam to Nazareth, though, because they had more songs I like than Nazareth. Also, even if it is a cover, All For the Love of Rock and Roll is probably one of the best rock anthems I have ever heard.

I agree for the most part, but Nazareth had some really good songs. And All For The Love of Rock n Roll was a cover of the band The Tuff Darts, featuring Robert Gordon.

Why are you talking about the Beatles on a Ram Jam/Joan Jett video? o_0

I do like Ram Jam, though. They're better than their contemporaries, Nazareth, at least. Ram Jam had their big hit, Black Betty, strong rockers like Just Like Me, Kid Next Door, Runway Runaway and I Want To Find Love, harmonious power ballads like Saturday Night and Turnpike and a great rock and roll anthem, All For the Love of Rock and Roll. Joan Jett was really good, too, as probably the greatest female rocker ever who influenced many women in music later on and is one of my biggest crushes.

Indeed my freind.

Let It Be

Why the hell are people talking about Bruce Springstein on a Joan Jett music video? Ram Jam made it first, and Joan Jett covered it. Bruce Springstein was never involved with this song. I don't know why people keep on thinking he was involved. On another note, I find it interesting that such a popular rocker like Joan Jett covered a song first made by a completely unknown group like Ram Jam and it wasn't Black Betty. Pretty much nobody listens to Ram Jam.

love her

ahadnagy167?
T'was a joke, I love Bruce Springsteen. Haha.
Don't take what people say literal. ^_^

@mizunomegami Ram Jam did it first in 1977 on their self-titled album. Joan Jett didn't do it until 1980 on her Bad Reputation album. I'm not finding any other versions of it on the net. At any rate, both versions are great.

@replikon
Funny opionins

@replikon

Who's 'Bruce Springsteen' ? ;]

This was also done by Ram Jam. Love the song.

Bah! Joan Jett is way cooler than Bruce Springsteen! :)