All of the band members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname "Ramone", though none of them were related. They performed 2,263 concerts, touring virtually nonstop for 22 years. In 1996, after a tour with the Lollapalooza music festival, the band played a farewell concert and disbanded. By a little more than eight years after the breakup, the band's three founding members—lead singer Joey Ramone, guitarist Johnny Ramone, and bassist Dee Dee Ramone—had died. Drummer Tommy Ramone, the last surviving original member, died in 2014.
Their only record with enough U.S. sales to be certified gold was the compilation album Ramones Mania. However, recognition of the band's importance built over the years, and they are now cited in many assessments of all-time great rock music, such as the Rolling Stone list of the 50 Greatest Artists of All Time and VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. In 2002, the Ramones were ranked the second-greatest band of all time by Spin magazine, trailing only The Beatles. On March 18, 2002, the Ramones—including the three founders and drummers Marky and Tommy Ramone—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011, the group was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Formation: 1974–1975
Forest Hills High School, attended by the four original members of the Ramones
The original members of the band met in and around the middle-class neighborhood of Forest Hills in the New York City borough of Queens. John Cummings and Tamás Erdélyi had both been in a high-school garage band from 1966 to 1967 known as the Tangerine Puppets. They became friends with Douglas Colvin, who had recently moved to the area from Germany, and Jeffry Hyman, who was the initial lead singer of the glam rock band Sniper, founded in 1972.
The Ramones began taking shape in early 1974, when Cummings and Colvin invited Hyman to join them in a band. The initial lineup featured Colvin on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Cummings on lead guitar, and Hyman on drums. Colvin, who soon switched from rhythm guitar to bass, was the first to adopt the name "Ramone", calling himself Dee Dee Ramone. He was inspired by Paul McCartney's use of the pseudonym Paul Ramon during his Silver Beatles days. Dee Dee convinced the other members to take on the name and came up with the idea of calling the band the Ramones. Hyman and Cummings became Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone, respectively.
A friend of the band, Monte A. Melnick (later their tour manager), helped to arrange rehearsal time for them at Manhattan's Performance Studios, where he worked. Johnny's former bandmate Erdélyi was set to become their manager. Soon after the band was formed, Dee Dee realized that he could not sing and play his bass guitar simultaneously; with Erdélyi's encouragement, Joey became the band's new lead singer.
Dee Dee would continue, however, to count off each song's tempo with his signature rapid-fire shout of "1-2-3-4!" Joey soon similarly realized that he could not sing and play drums simultaneously and left the position of drummer. While auditioning prospective replacements, Erdélyi would often take to the drums and demonstrate how to play the songs. It became apparent that he was able to perform the group's music better than anyone else, and he joined the band as Tommy Ramone.
The Ramones played before an audience for the first time on March 30, 1974, at Performance Studios. The songs they played were very fast and very short; most clocked in at under two minutes. Around this time, a new music scene was emerging in New York centered around two clubs in downtown Manhattan—Max's Kansas City and, more famously, CBGB (usually referred to as CBGB's). The Ramones made their CBGB debut on August 16. Legs McNeil, who cofounded Punk magazine the following year, later described the impact of that performance: "They were all wearing these black leather jackets. And they counted off this song...and it was just this wall of noise.... They looked so striking. These guys were not hippies. This was something completely new."
The band swiftly became regulars at the club, playing there seventy-four times by the end of the year. After garnering considerable attention for their performances—which averaged about seventeen minutes from beginning to end—the group was signed to a recording contract in late 1975 by Seymour Stein of Sire Records. Stein's wife, Linda Stein, had seen the band play at CBGB; she would later co-manage them along with Danny Fields. By this time, the Ramones were recognized as leaders of the new scene that was increasingly being referred to as "punk". The group's unusual frontman had a lot to do with their impact. As Dee Dee explained, "All the other singers [in New York] were copying David Johansen [of The New York Dolls], who was copying Mick Jagger.... But Joey was unique, totally unique."
Babysitter
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She says come over, it's alright
On the couch with my special one
But don't tell me what we won't have fun
On the couch with my special one
But don't tell me what we won't have fun
She says come over, it's alright
Yeah, ya know we'll have the TV on
Aren't we glad that the folks are gone
Yeah, ya know we'll have the TV on
Aren't we glad that the folks are gone
She went to see if the kids were asleep
She says they're quiet expect for one little creep
We can't start kissing and I'll tell you why
We can't start kissing 'cause the kid's a little spy
She says she's babysitting tonight She says come over, it's alright
She says she's babysitting tonight She says come over, it's alright
All right
The Ramones' "Babysitter" is a fast, uptempo track that has an upbeat melody with catchy, repetitive lyrics. The song tells the story of a teenage boy eager to spend a wild night with his love interest while she is supposed to be babysitting. The singer is excited at the prospect of the kids being fast asleep, so they can engross themselves in a night of fun, hoping to sneak in some kissing and make out on the couch.
However, the girl tells him that she cannot kiss him because one of the kids is still awake and could easily catch them. The lyrics are primarily about hormonal teenage desires and young love. The lyrics also highlight the innocence and carelessness of youth, emphasizing the desire to enjoy life to the fullest.
Overall, the song's story is relatable to anyone who remembers their teenage years and offers a lighthearted take on the joys and challenges of adolescent love.
Line by Line Meaning
She says she's babysitting tonight
The singer is receiving an invitation from his babysitter that she will be available tonight to hang out with him.
She says come over, it's alright
The babysitter invites the singer to join her tonight without any hesitation or concern.
On the couch with my special one
The singer is hanging out with his significant other on the couch.
But don't tell me what we won't have fun
The artist anticipates that the evening will be a lot of fun despite any limitations they may face.
Yeah, ya know we'll have the TV on
The artist acknowledges that they will rely on watching TV for entertainment during the evening.
Aren't we glad that the folks are gone
The singer expresses excitement that the babysitter's parents are out for the night, allowing them to have the house to themselves.
She went to see if the kids were asleep
The babysitter checks on the children to ensure that they are asleep.
She says they're quiet expect for one little creep
All the children except for one are asleep and this one child is causing trouble or behaving strangely.
We can't start kissing and I'll tell you why
The artist explains that they cannot kiss due to a specific reason.
We can't start kissing 'cause the kid's a little spy
The child who is still awake may be observing their actions and could potentially reveal their behavior to the babysitter's parents.
She says she's babysitting tonight
The babysitter reiterates that she is babysitting tonight.
She says come over, it's alright
The babysitter assures the artist that they should have no worries about coming over tonight despite her responsibilities.
All right
The singer agrees to the situation and is excited for the evening to continue.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DEE DEE RAMONE, DOUGLAS COLVIN, JEFFREY HYMAN, JOEY RAMONE, JOHN (RAMONE) CUMMINGS, JOHNNY RAMONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robertsteckler3275
Definitely a mistake to not have this song on the LP.
@lou1502
First time I got this song it was a a compilation album called Attack of the Killer B's. But originally it was on the B side of a 7" of Do You Wanna Dance. Carbona not glue was on this album first then removed replaced with Sheena is a punk rocker. Easy to tell who old fans are.
@kemi._
oh shit i like it
@jorge4ever357
babysitter
@charleshall3372
B-side to ? I still have it(Rockaway Beach or Do You Wanna Dance)
@robr5786
The Ramones are as american as apple pie and baseball and rock n roll, what teenaged boy didnt sneak over when their girlfriend was babysitting in the 50's,60's,70's etc