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My Gen X Playlist: Crimson and Clover – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

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Recently, I’ve found ironing to be therapeutic. Go figure.

Before business casual, I dropped off my dress shirts to be laundered at the dry cleaners. Back then, it cost $0.99 per shirt. I tried all different starch levels, eventually settling on medium. I appreciated a crisp clean shirt, especially if I had to wear a suit and tie for the day. It cost about 20 bucks per month, well worth not having to think about a pressed shirt every morning before work. When casual Fridays emerged, it was cut back to $16 dollars per month. Not too bad.

I still laundered my shirts during the early stages of business casual. But when jeans day seeped from casual Fridays to everyday, I was really able to cut back on this. First in half, then to just a handful a month. Now with remote work, I only really need a nicely pressed shirt when I have an in person client meeting. These occur about once every few months.

I do have online client meetings with the cameras turned on. I still need a wrinkle free shirt, but these days I can get away with ironing my own. I’ve actually become pretty good at this in recent months. I typically iron while watching Netflix or listening to a podcast. Plus, the price of a laundered shirt has skyrocketed close to four bucks. Inflation blows. I like to think that each time I iron a shirt, I’ve earned myself a cup of coffee at the local coffee roaster. Not a bad incentive to keep ironing. Who doesn’t like to treat themselves to a delicious cup of coffee? Oh, if I ironed two shirts in a week? Let’s throw in that blueberry scone, too. Welcome to the conversation in my head.

I scoured AI for songs about ironing, shirts or laundry. Nothing came up interesting. Then I found somebody’s ironing playlist and decided to pick a song from there. I’m not sure I agree with the list. Not my preference to iron with these songs flowing through my ear buds. But I did like the reminder of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. It’s been a long while since hearing her music. I never added her music to my CD collection, so I mainly was limited to hearing her whenever she randomly played on the radio.

Funny, Joan Jett always reminded me of Leather Tuscadero (played by Suzi Quatro) of Happy Days. On a whim, I did a search of the two and found a few references of Quatro’s influence on Joan Jett. That was a fun surprise. My instincts weren’t too far off.

While I do like I Love Rock and Roll from the Ironing Playlist, I think I much prefer Crimson and Clover. I’m not rocking out when I’m pressing my shirts. This song has a much better pace. I always suspected it may have been a cover, but never looked it up until now. Looks like the original was by Tommy James and the Shondells.

“They were just two of my favorite words that came together. Actually, it was one morning as I was getting up out of bed, and it just came to me, those two words. And it sounded so poetic. I had no idea what it meant, or if it meant anything. They were just two of my favorite words. . . And I ended up writing ‘Crimson and Clover’ with my drummer, Pete Lucia. . .

Songfacts

The original is different. I much rather hear Joan Jett’s rasp and guitar. Although a more slowed down version, it has a more powerful sound. Maybe because she’s such a bad ass. And even though I can’t imagine a bad ass rock star standing there in front of an ironing board with a fire hot iron in hand, smoothing out wrinkles and getting the crease just right, I still would add this one to my ironing playlist, if I had one. It just has a cool vibe.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Ah, now I don't hardly know her
But I think I can love her
Crimson and clover

Ah, now when she comes walkin' over
Now I've been waitin' to show her
Crimson and clover
Over and over

Yeah, if I'm not such a sweet thing
I wanna do everything
What a beautiful feelin'
Crimson and clover
Over and over

Crimson and clover, over and over
Crimson and clover, over and over
Crimson and clover, over and over
Crimson and clover, over and over

31 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Crimson and Clover – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts”

  3. Lawsy but I hated ironing – my father’s uniform shirts with those stupid patches, my younger brothers tiny white dress shirts (he went to private school). Then many years later my husband’s uniform shirts, with all those patches and then his dress shirts which were like ironing bed sheets – he was 6’6″ – I’m a prissy picky ironer – it would take me close to an hour to iron one of his shirts and then we discovered paying someone to launder them – and yep, way back when, 99¢ a shirt and I got my Sundays back. I personally never owned clothes that had to be ironed, and haven’t touched an iron in over 25 years. And nobody can make me!

    Never much cared for Tommy James and Crimson and Clover but I did like ‘Draggin’ The Line’ and ‘Mony, Mony’ (“It’s got a good beat, Dick and you can dance to it. I’ll give it a 75”). As for Joan Jett – a kick-ass female lead – Gotta Love It!

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    1. $0.99 per shirt was a steal… especially when it was nicely starched.

      They sang Mony Mony, too? I might have to check out more of Tommy James’ music. I was surprised how high his voice was in Crimson and Clover.

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  4. Leather Tuscadero! You do have a good memory. I definitely remember Pinky Tuscadero, but had to look up Leather. It said Gary Marshall offered her own spinoff show, but she turned it down! I always liked Joan’s Crimson & Clover. It’s a great cover. Much cooler than the original.

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    1. I remembered Pinky’s name and leather’s persona initially. I had to jog my memory for Leather’s name a bit. But I remember her character more than Pinky’s. Cool fact about the spin off. I’m surprised and not surprised she turned it down! I don’t remember too much of Quatro’s music, but I do remember her name. I may have to go down a rabbit hole to see if I know any of her songs.

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    1. Totally. We went to a baseball game last night. It was fun to hang out, half watch half socialize, eat a dog, seventh inning stretch. The other night my wife commented she liked having the ball game on TV. Watching it is calming for her. I guess it’s the one sport where it’s not full action all the time. When I was a kid, I used to think watching baseball was boring. Now I love it.

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  8. Yes, I never realized that I totally picture Leather Tuscadero when I think of Joan Jett! Cool connection.

    I do not enjoy ironing. My husband is back to work in the office full-time now, so I spend my Sunday afternoons ironing his work clothes. I do enjoy listening to music while ironing, but the best part is the view. My bedroom window overlooks the desert behind my house. I can watch bunnies hopping into the bushes, lizards scurrying along a fence, and even a prairie dog popping its head out of a hole…all while ironing dress shirts!

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    1. Oh man, if I had to iron more than one or two a week, I’m sure my post would take a different turn! My business casual wardrobe includes many polo shirts that don’t need ironing. Glad you have the beautiful view in your backyard!

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  9. I remember when this song was on the radio in the 80s. I thought it was an original, but my dad told me it was a remake and played me the version he had on a 45. I always think of that moment when I hear it. Thank you for sharing this today. 💜

    And yes! Joan Jett always reminded me of Leather Tuscadero too!

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  10. I’m terrible at ironing…I confess! 🫣
    I make sure the collar of the shirt is well ironed, but the rest…I roll the sleeves and voilà, nobody will notice. 😅

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  11. Great story on the winding road to your song choice! I too found ironing therapeutic, though I also used a laundry service when my job was too out of hand. I’d iron about ten at a time to give me two week’s worth of shirts to take in one day when I was biking to work.

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      1. My sweety and I went down to one car almost 25 years ago. She walked 20 minutes to work, and I drove for a lot of years or took the bus, but then in around 2012 I started walking and a couple of years later when I found secure bike parking, rode until I retired. My building had showers so it was perfect; I’d just take a bunch of shirts in for the week and had suits, ties and shoes in a closet.

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