Joey grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, feeling optimistic about the future but just a hairs breath above poverty. His mother, Charlotte, encouraged an interest in music in both Joey and his brother Mitchell Hyman a/k/a Mickey Leigh. Charlotte spelled Joey's birth name 'Jeffry' without the 'e' as she wanted to make him different. Joey was a fan of The Who and other such poppy rock bands (particularly "oldies" groups). Also inspired by the DIY-based loose, anarchic garage rock groups such as The Stooges, Joey took up drums at 13, playing throughout his teen years while also dabbling in vocals. Joey was originally the drummer for the Ramones, with Dee Dee Ramone handling the singing. Upon Tommy Ramone's suggestion that some particular parts of the band didn't work, he became the vocalist. Joey and his bandmates attended Forest Hills High School.
He was said to be the "heart and soul" of the Ramones, and his favorite songs they had performed were often the ballads and love songs. C.J. Ramone called Joey the "hippie of the group". Among punk rock fans, and underground music fans in general, Joey became a counter-cultural icon. After the heyday of the Ramones in the mid-70s, they remained only an underground act throughout the 80s and 90s, but their influence among rock music has been immense.
Joey was distinctive due to his towering height of 6 ft 6 in (1,98m), ectomorphic form, and long shock of black hair that almost completely obscured his face. Joey was known to have suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Joey was born sterile, so he never fathered any children. He also never married. Friends and family have credited him as being an extremely friendly, jovial, and caring person.
Joey did not speak to guitarist Johnny Ramone for many years. The animosity began when Johnny "stole" Joey's girlfriend Linda, whom Johnny later married. They were also strongly averse to each other's politics as well, Joey being a left-leaning liberal while Johnny was a staunch conservative. The pair never made up with each other.
Joey died of lymphoma on April 15, 2001. He apparently had had the disease for a long time; he was sighted at a New York City cancer clinic that specializes in lymphoma in the mid 1990s. His passing was a sad shock to many, and seemed to signal the end of a generation. Countless memorials, both by fans and the rockers he influenced, followed.
Joey co-penned and recorded the song "Meatball Sandwich" with Youth Gone Mad. For a short time before his death, he took the role of manager and producer for the punk rock group The Independents. His solo album Don't Worry About Me was released in 2002, and it featured the popular single "What a Wonderful World", his cover of the Louis Armstrong classic. In addition, this album featured a song entitled "Maria Bartiromo" in tribute to the popular CNBC anchor, which Joey had a crush on.
On November 30, 2003, Joey Ramone Place was officially named a new street in New York City. It is located alongside the block where the Ramones got their start at CBGB. His birthday is annually celebrated by rock and roll nightclubs, hosted in New York City by his brother. In January 2007, Joey Ramone's mother, Charlotte Lesher, passed away as well, mourned by Ramones fans across the world.
On The Beach
Joey Ramone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's where she said she'd wait for me
Something came from way out deep
And took her back to where it sleeps
I don't care about saving the world
I just gotta find that one little girl
Something took her away from me
It came out of the deep dark sea
Infected by some radioactivity
It grabbed my baby with a great big smile
They saw it head in the direction of three mile isle
Something like this, could it really exist
I just can't believe that it's true
One thing I know, I ain't letting her go
Though people say I might have
I don't care about saving the world
I just gotta find that one little girl
Something took her away from me
On the beach out by the sea, she was waiting for me
Joey Ramone's song "On The Beach" tells the story of a man who lost his loved one to a creature that came out from the deep dark sea. The song talks about a girl who promised to wait for him on the beach but was taken away by the sea creature that came from way out deep. The man is devastated with this loss, and his only concern is to find his loved one.
The song's lyrics convey the theme of loss and desperation to find someone who was taken away. The man in the song is willing to do anything to find his loved one and is not concerned about saving the world. He talks about the creature that came out of the sea being infected by radioactivity, which adds a layer of sci-fi to the song. Although the man questions if such a creature could exist, he is determined to find his loved one and not let her go.
The song's tragic storyline is enhanced by Ramone's haunting vocals and a melancholic guitar rhythm. The song's simple but powerful lyrics resonate with listeners who have experienced loss and are willing to go to great lengths to find their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
On the beach out by the sea
The singer's lover told him she would meet him at the beach by the sea
That's where she said she'd wait for me
The singer is referring to the promise his lover made to him about meeting him at the beach by the sea
Something came from way out deep
Something emerged from the depths of the ocean
And took her back to where it sleeps
That 'something' took the singer's lover back to where it came from, the ocean
I don't care about saving the world
The singer doesn't care about saving the world as much as he cares about finding his lover
I just gotta find that one little girl
The singer is determined to find his lover
Something took her away from me
The singer is referring to the 'something' that took his lover away
On the beach out by the sea, she was waiting for me
The singer is reminiscing about the time his lover waited for him at the beach by the sea
It came out of the deep dark sea
The 'something' that took the singer's lover came from the deep, dark ocean
Infected by some radioactivity
The 'something' that took the singer's lover was affected by radioactivity
It grabbed my baby with a great big smile
The 'something' took the singer's lover with a smile
They saw it head in the direction of three mile isle
The 'something' was seen heading towards Three Mile Island nuclear power plant
Something like this, could it really exist
The singer is questioning the existence of the 'something' that took his lover
I just can't believe that it's true
The singer is having a hard time believing that this 'something' actually exists
One thing I know, I ain't letting her go
The singer knows that he won't let his lover go without a fight
Though people say I might have
Despite what others might say, the singer won't give up on finding his lover
Contributed by Mason D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
OfficialMickeyLeigh
It's not a Joey Ramone song. I wrote it, (100% of it). I'm singin the lead vocal throughout..and Joey & I are singing the choruses & bridge together. It's the same exact track from The Rattlers 1979 single. ..but, i gotta laugh that people rave about it-thinking it's a Joey Ramone song...flattered tho. and thankful, especially learning that, if you still think it's a great track.
Belén Ginebra
OfficialMickeyLeigh
Bouillisateur
I fucking love it anyway ! Thanks for those great louds open windows car moments yellin the lyrics with my friends !
Mariano Pardo
streaming it, please
QueenoftheNile
i love this song when it was performed by the rattlers but it sounds amazing coming from joey
DANIEL PHANTOM
joey is the best in the world
kimmi ramone
OK but there are a couple of points I would like to bring up. The video I found of the Rattlers was fromThe Uncle Floyd show and they were notorious for having people lipsync. Could be the reason it sounds EXACTLY like the LP. Here is an example below of Joey and Holly Beth doing I Got You Babe and it is pretty obvious. Also Mickey's (his real name is Mitch) voice is much different if you see the videos of him performing "What a Wonderful World" at the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash.
Dave R
It is Joey and Mickey singing together. That's not their real Mom it's an actor since their Mom was too sweet looking, lol. I read about in "I slept with Joey Ramone"- great book.
missionP Pants
Awesome.. Just Awesome!!!
kimmi ramone
Whats up Mickey! Nancy and Roger say hi! Love this song and the whole album!