Beat On The Brat
Dee Dee Ramone/Joey Ramone/Johnny Ramone/Ramones/Tommy Ramone Lyrics
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Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat with a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh-oh
I beat on the brat
I beat on the brat with a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh-oh
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh-oh
What can you do?
What can you do?
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you lose?
What can you lose?
What can you lose?
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you do?
Do, yeah
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat with a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh-oh
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat with a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh-oh
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh-oh
What can you do?
What can you do?
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you do?
What can you lose?
What can you lose?
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you do?
The Ramones' "Beat on the Brat" is a sardonic take on the frustrations and powerlessness of dealing with difficult people, particularly children. The lyrics suggest that the only way to deal with a bratty child is to physically beat them, with the use of a baseball bat as the weapon of choice. This violent imagery is used to highlight the feeling of helplessness that can come when dealing with unruly behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
For-sake the power
Give up control or authority
Beat on the brat
Physically assault a troublesome child
Beat on the brat with a baseball bat
Hit the child with a weapon to assert dominance
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh-oh
Repeating chorus for emphasis
I beat on the brat
Asserting personal experience in assaulting a child
What can you do?
Expressing frustration and helplessness in dealing with a difficult situation
With a brat like that always on your back
Referring to the ongoing burden of a troublesome child
What can you lose?
Asking rhetorically what negative consequences could come from hitting a difficult child
Do, yeah
Encouraging action despite difficult circumstances
What can you do?
Repeating frustration and seeking advice
What can you lose?
Repeating the question of potential consequences
What can you do?
Repeating the need for advice and guidance
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DEE DEE RAMONE, DOUGLAS COLVIN, JEFFREY HYMAN, JOEY RAMONE, JOHN (RAMONE) CUMMINGS, JOHNNY RAMONE, THOMAS ERDELYI, TOMMY RAMONE
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