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Victim of CircumstanceJoan Jett & The Blackhearts

Released: November 18, 1981

Songwriter: Kenny Laguna Joan Jett

Producer: Ritchie Cordell Kenny Laguna Glen Kolotkin

[Verse 1]
The police were waitin' when the sun came up
You better move your ass or we'll really get rough
I never wanted trouble but I sure got enough
I'm bad at bein' subtle but I ain't that tough, no

[Chorus]
(Just a victim of circumstance)
Didn't you know?
(Just a victim of circumstance)
Doesn't it show?
(I'm just a victim of circumstance)
Wherever I go
Just a victim of a bad reputation
I got no chance of shakin'

[Verse 2]
Really gets you down when you don't belong
And everyone around says you growed up wrong
But why do they resent it? I ain't doin' anything
They say that I'm demented and I never could sing
Then everywhere I went I caused them such alarm
You know I never meant to cause anybody harm, no

[Chorus]
(Just a victim of circumstance)
Didn't you know?
(Just a victim of circumstance)
Doesn't it show?
(I'm just a victim of circumstance)
Wherever I go
Just a victim of a bad reputation
I got no chance of shakin'

[Bridge]
I've been laughed at
I've been shut out
But let there be no doubt
Never been afraid of chances I been takin'

[Verse 3]
The police are waitin' when the sun came up
You better move your ass or we'll really get rough
I never wanted trouble but I sure get enough
I'm bad at bein' subtle but I ain't that tough, no

[Chorus]
(Just a victim of circumstance)
Didn't you know?
(Just a victim of circumstance)
Doesn't it show?
(I'm just a victim of circumstance)
Wherever I go
Just a victim of a bad reputation
I got no chance of shakin', yeah

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

After splitting with The Runaways, and releasing her first solo album, Joan Jett placed an ad in LA Weekly looking for bandmates. Gary Ryan, Eric Ambel, and Danny “Furious” O'Brien joined her, creating the orginial Blackhearts lineup.

After their initial tour though, O'Brien was replaced with Lee Crystal.

Early on, keeping the band afloat was not easy. Joan and producer Kenny Laguna struggled, sometimes selling copies of albums from the trunk of his car. Eventually unable to keep up with the demand for Joan Jett’s album, they signed with Boardwalk Records.

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